


Infection

by eloquentelegance



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Autistic Hanji Zoë, Gen, Kid Fic, Muteness, Sign Language, Titan Eren Yeager, Worldbuilding
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-23
Updated: 2019-08-10
Packaged: 2019-11-19 00:01:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 27,674
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18128261
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eloquentelegance/pseuds/eloquentelegance
Summary: Eren becomes a Pure Titan long before Wall Maria falls. Turns out, he's somewhat immune to the transformation's effects. He doesn't become a mindless monster. But he still can't shift out of his monstrous form. This could be a problem.[Patch Notes: Fixed continuity problems in Ch. 1, 2, and 3]





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Shifter Among Men](https://archiveofourown.org/works/5287343) by [TheMinorityReport](https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheMinorityReport/pseuds/TheMinorityReport). 



Curiousity killed the cat, they say. Grisha watches in stupefied horror as his son, barely eight years old, writhes in pain on the wooden floor. Next to him, a broken vial lies scattered across the floor, the remnants of the Titan serum quickly evaporating into the air.

The cat came back, Grisha remembers idly. Curiousity killed the cat, but satisfaction brought it back, they say. No one ever says how the cat may be forever changed by its new knowledge. No one ever wonders how the cat spent the rest of its nine lives. Perhaps it grew mad - grew into a hissing, spitting thing found in the shadows of dark alleys. Perhaps it clawed unsuspecting passerbys offering idle kindness. Perhaps it killed, infecting blood with the sink of its fangs. Perhaps it may have been better off dying.

Who's to say satisfaction caused its return? What if it had never been satisfaction? Why couldn't it be spite? Spite for all the times left behind. Spite for all the false promises made. Spite for all the times locked out of the lab, the door gently closing on bright, pleading eyes. Grisha should have known.

It's too late now.

Except... Is it? The transformation should happen instantly. It's already been enough time for Grisha to blink. Yet, Eren continues to seize about on the floor. He could continue to sit on his bum, staring. Or he could try to act.

His son will transform in the middle of a crowded district. This will happen regardless of whatever he chooses to do - sit and stare or stand and run. But! If he did act... If he got a horse now and charged for the nearest woods, there's a slim chance of hiding the transformation deep behind the treeline. He has to risk it. A slim chance is still a chance - still a lifeline when before he'd been resigned to losing all hope.

He grabs Eren. He rushes out the door. Carla, confused, hollers a question after him. Her questions rise in pitch and volume, noticing Eren bundled in his arms. He doesn't answer. He dashes to the communal stables and rips the reins from a returning rider. There's shouting and cursing. He kicks someone in the face. But he's off, riding hard and fast. Eren groans, long and low. His body burns - hot enough to scald. Grisha notes distantly how his skin bubbles and peels, cooking from the inside out, slivers of raw muscle peeking through.

They make it to the woods about an hour later. At this point, Grisha's arms are bright red and steaming. His automatic healing kicked in as Eren burns them both, right through the thin cotton of their clothes. His son is now almost entirely skinless. He can just barely recognize him, distorted by the blood vaporizing into steam.

This was nothing like any Titan transformation Grisha had seen. By the time they were totally isolated behind the treeline, no longer in sight of the town, it had been well over two hours. Eren had gone abruptly silent. Grisha had thought - that's it. He's dead. Except even a quick glance can catch the steady, rapid beating of his little heart. It was beyond grotesque, watching the muscles of his chest flutter with each pulse. A normal human would not have survived - skinned alive and boiling hot and gushing blood. Then again, there's nothing normal or expected about any of this.

Grisha laid his boy - his son! only eight! - on the hard packed, frostbitten ground. He cleared it of any dead leaves, sticks, or stones - more for his sake than Eren's. It was obvious how little comfort this would offer him but it made Grisha feel better so...

For the first five minutes, he simply bent over Eren, watching intently. Nothing happened. Nothing he could help with, at least. He takes a deep breath then sets off to make a fire. Time passes at a slow, syrupy crawl. Grisha notes an increase in Eren's mass. He watches his muscles pull taught and tight, stretching and stretching. He hears the snap and crack of bones thickening, lengthening. He feels - placing a curious hand on Eren's chest - the lungs, the heart, all these vital organs shift and bloat, bigger and bigger and bigger still.

It's the dead of night when the skin grows back. Eren is now about four meters tall by his estimate. He is well proportioned, if a bit round in the tummy with a touch too large head. But there's a good resemblance between how he is now to how he is before. Grisha can look at him and know that is his son. That giant, lumbering Titan is his son.

A sharp light bursts from Eren's eyes and his lipless mouth. This Grisha recognizes from other Titan transformations. Usually it signals the start of the change, not the end of it. There's the bright boom akin to thunder. Grisha is blinded for all of a second. When he dares to look again, he stares into the wide, green eyes of Eren. His son blinks at him. Grisha understands two things immediately.

First, his son remains lucid. It's evident from the careful way he moves. He lifts his limbs gently, studying the change. His brow folds, fear seeping into his expression the way milk spoils in the sun. Grisha quickly calls for Eren's attention, making soft and soothing noises to keep him from panicking. He avoids saying what they both know - simply insisting that "Everything will be fine. I'll take care of you. It's alright. I'm here, I'm here."

Second, there is no turning Eren back. This is not a case of a human fused into a Titan body. Grisha watched as his boy grew into a Titan. If he had been a Shifter, Grisha could have cut him out of the nape. But he knew trying that now would only cause unnecessary pain. Eren's human body has been lost completely. Or to be exact, this is his new "human body".

Grisha feels his breath catch. His words falter and fade into the chilly night air. He falls to his knees. A sob coughs out of his throat. What a fool he was. He had come here with a mission. He was supposed to save his people. Yet here he spent the last ten years - ten of his thirteen left! - sitting around, playing happy family. He was the greatest, godforsaken fool to ever walk this earth. And now look! Behold, his happiness! Undone by his own careless hand! It's only fitting.

A low moan brings him out of his thoughts. He lifts his head to see Eren had somehow managed to squat down. His son peers at him, brow drawn tight. Air puffs out his teeth, a quiet 'hsss hsss' noise. Oh.

When Eren was still very small, he had awful nightmares. He'd wake them in the early mornings, crying out in his sleep. Carla would pick him up and hold him close. Her hand rubbed his back as she made a quiet "shoosh shoosh" noise. Grisha gasps out a laugh. Eren has never seen his parents cry before. It's never an easy thing for a child to watch. So here he is, trying to make him stop.

"Hss, hss," he says again, lifting a hand. He's about to reach over, attempting some sort of pat, maybe a soothing stroke. As a small child, this would be epitome of sweetness. In his current size, well, Grisha readies himself to run. But Eren pauses and blinks. Glancing between the hand and his dad, he eyes the fingers now longer than Grisha's arms. Something in the way his brow knits, how he turns still and silent, it's like seeing a top slowly spin to a stop, not quite but just about to fall over. 

Grisha forces himself to his feet, walking closer to his son. He reaches up and places a single hand on Eren's knee.

"I... Don't worry about me. Your old fool of a father just got a little dizzy. That's all. I'm much better now." For Eren, he has to be.

* * *

Grisha tells Carla. There's not really much of a choice. And Eren could certainly use some maternal comfort. So, Grisha tells Carla. It's not the whole truth. He doesn't tell her about Marley or about his mission. He only explains how Titans are actually people. He doesn't say how he learned this. He only confesses that Eren is now a Titan. It was his fault.

Carla remains silent. She does nothing as he talks and talks and talks some more. She does nothing, says nothing, all throughout their ride to the forest. She seems catatonic, dull eyes serenely watching the passing countryside. He worries the shock might have broken her somehow, some way important. But then, her gaze finds her now titanic son, curled up on the ground, his head resting on his knees. Grisha learns what fury truly looks like.

It looks like his wife of nine years, cheeks blotchy and wet with tears. It looks like her eyes, brown like the darkest ale, with a gaze that tore straight through him. It looks like her back pulled tight and straight, her shoulders coiled and raised, her open hand. She slaps him. She slaps him twice. She was gracious enough to let him really feel the first, even nurse his injured cheek for a moment, then she slaps him a second time.

Things move very fast after that. Carla fusses over Eren. Both remain wary of letting each other come close. But Carla manages. They go for a walk. They do need to find someplace to stash the boy. Grisha lets them wander. He's busy planning out the rest of their lives.

Carla decides a nearby clearing will have to do. She shows Grisha where she set Eren to work, digging a little hole where he could sleep in. He doesn't really feel much now. He isn't cold or hot or tired. But Carla insists on getting him comfortable. She has a list of things to bring him and "Grisha you better be listening".

Grisha decides to announce Eren had died. He had wandered off into the forest and got lost. They had ridden to look for him but it was too late. Poor Eren had been mauled by some dangerous animal. He had saved the clothes Eren wore while transforming. Its bloody, tattered state would surely convince everyone. They needed to mourn and "Carla you'll need to cry on cue".

The death of their son receives a touching number of mourners. There's little Armin, stunned at the news and, for the first week, refused to believe it. He rarely leaves the house nowadays. Hannes dropped by and even Shadis, after one of his expeditions. Both were terribly sorry to hear the news - Hannes even cried - and if either of them needed anything - anything at all - don't be afraid to ask. They politely smile and offer thanks for their kindness.

They start a rumor about a deadly creature - a massive bear? a hungry wolf? - lurking in the woods. It helps explain away sightings of Eren. Carla returns to being a barmaid, mostly to watch for any drunk hunters or passerbys swearing to have seen something between the trees. It almost feels scripted how they all suddenly hush, remembering her presence and her horrible tragedy. If they get a little rowdy, maybe they start planning to hunt for this mysterious creature, she bursts out crying and leaves work early. She'll rush over to Eren and warn him of the incoming threat.

Grisha searches for some way to turn Eren back. Carla doesn't care much for the details, yet she demands results. They put on a good charade of a close, grieving couple. But at home, Carla's fury continues to be palpable. Grisha accepts this as his due and does his best to keep out of her way. He throws himself into researching and experimenting, only sparing time for his doctor duties. He ends up visiting Eren often, just to update his observations and try out new tests.

Eren is rightfully upset. He's not adjusting well to his new life. He's bored. He's scared. He's lonely. The days are unbearably long with only his Dad for company. And Grisha visits only once or twice a week. Carla sneaks out when she can, but after that busy first week, she came less and less often. So Eren wanders.

He's not supposed to. He's eight not stupid. But there's really nothing to do. He'll go crazy just sitting around on his bum. He has to wander. Besides, he's careful about it. He tries his best to be sneaky. It's hard considering he's four meters tall and heavy. Still he manages. It helps that he can smell and hear better. He can easily sense when someone is around before they ever get close enough to see him. There's really no way for him to hide so he tiptoes away, moving fast and far as he can get. It's like the most messed up game of tag.

Luckily, the woods don't get a lot of visitors. It's overhunted, mostly populated by thin squirrels and starving racoons. The trees are big and tall, enough that it only ever takes one or two for any project needed. If Eren is quick and smart about it, he can walk around the woods as he pleases. But he can never go past the treeline. He gets close, eyeing the wide, open fields the way bread soaks up broth. He nearly gets caught that way, random passerbys glancing at the woods and finding a monstrous shadow lurking between the trees. His mom even dropped by, warning him of foolhardy hunters. Still he aches in the only way he can. When hunger or chill can no longer touch him, this yearning to be free is the one thing left to hurt.


	2. Chapter 2

The Jeagers like to live in hope. They're like a house of cards, set up just to be torn down. They try to make it work but the odds were stacked against them. Grisha had ridden to the nearest forest which means its still close to town, to people. When Eren fully transformed, it was no longer safe to bring him elsewhere, some place like the Titan Forest a little further north. And so, they were stuck in a cramped, shabby forest sitting on the outskirts of a busy village. It was doomed from the very start.

Eren is found. Of course, someone finds him. Except, they never could have predicted how and by who. It's Armin - shy, feeble, curious Armin with a treasure of forbidden books left by his naive, reckless parents. He inherited their wanderlust, their questioning, seeking nature. All the wild stories of monsters lurking in the woods wet his interest. This was the beast that killed his best friend. This was a riddle left to be untangled. This was the unknown. He had to see it for himself.

He packed a kitchen knife, a tinderbox, and a water bottle. He slipped on his heaviest cloak and his sturdiest pair of shoes. He left a note saying "out to get firewood", then ran out the door. His knees shook. His heart danced a clumsy jig. His back curved, shoulders lifted to his ears, his head bowed low. Surely everyone knew what he was up to. He must be so obvious. But no one stopped him. Armin arrived at the forest edge just as the sun set.

He didn't find Eren right away. In truth, Eren finds him. These woods may be barren and hollow but a twitchy child can still find danger in it. Armin just has the worst sort of luck. He ran into a rabid racoon. In the dark, he had thought it to be the fearsome beast. He tried to grab his knife but the racoon hissed and he dropped everything. He scrambled away, thinking the racoon was chasing after him. It was not. But his cries for help echoed through the trees. He tripped over a root and laid on the ground, dirty and tired, when he feels the hard rhythm of heavy footsteps. Very heavy footsteps.

Eren and Armin are reunited that night. Armin sees the giant feet pause in front of him. He lifts his head, lifts it up and up and up. Eren stares at him, pitching out a questioning note. He's crouching, trying to fit all four meters into something smaller and friendlier. Armin faints.

The next morning came with a lot of revelations. Eren writes out his name. Armin runs home to a panicking grandfather. He makes his apologies before dashing over to the Jaeger house. It's Carla that reminds him to breathe. It's Carla that takes him by the hand and brings him back to the woods. It's Carla that assures him of how she's handling the situation. Armin calls horseshit.

Her son! is a Titan! The situation is so far away from being handled that it reached the ocean! That's how far it is from any grasp of Carla Jaeger. Armin spends a whole afternoon gibbering quietly to a sympathetic squirrel. Mother and son watch him curiously. Their heads tilted in the exact same fashion.

Armin manages to calm down. Somehow. Eventually. Revelations aside, he's relieved to learn his best friend is still alive. He ends up being Eren's chief companion. It's easier for him to visit. He has less obligations than Grisha and Carla. Everyone, including his grandfather, assumes he's off making mischief in the fields or gathering firewood as needed.

* * *

For the most part, Armin likes to rest on Eren's knee and read from the many, many books inherited from his parents. He helps out Grisha with his tests and even tries some of his own. Eren likes it when Armin's testing him. His father prefers testing his biology - taking his temperature, listening to his heart beat, drawing blood samples. But Armin tries things like racing him up a tree, or learning to juggle, or fumbling a handstand.

They start little projects, landscaping a corner of the woods. Eren ends up with a nice, cozy mud hut, carefully made to look like a hill. It keeps him dry more than anything and it's a place to keep all the stuff his mom brings over. Last time he checked, she's working on a huge quilt for him. Eren doesn't need it, not really, not for the usual reasons people need quilts. But he wants it to remember her by. He wants to believe she hasn't forgotten or abandoned him.

On rainy days, Armin starts a fire and they curl up together, reading books or talking. Smart, keen Armin figured out a way for them to "speak" with each other. Since Eren's mouth can no longer form words, he tried to write his thoughts in the dirt. This was not the best or fastest way to talk. But Armin got the idea of using their hands. He had been walking down the street when he caught sight of a shadow puppet show. He noticed how the story was told using just the actor's hands to make shapes and actions. He shared the idea with Eren and the boys got started on making a new language all their own. They even got Carla and Grisha involved. Both were more than happy to learn these new hand signs and complimented their ingenuity.

* * *

As winter passed into spring, nothing happens. The visits become routine. They stop planning every move. They forget to count the days between each visit. It's all very stupid considering the woods sit behind Wall Maria. To see Eren, they need to cross through the gate.

Hannes may be a drunkard, but he can put pieces together. It takes him awhile. But he can. As a Garrison soldier, he often gets saddled with guarding the gate. It's a useless job where even drinking does little to ease his boredom. He ends up watching the people passing through. He notices Carla first. She really has no business leaving Shiganshina that often. Sometimes, she leaves in the dead of night. She'll be wearing her barmaid clothes and riding at a breakneck speed.

It's Armin who convinces him to act. He watches the boy hike in the same direction Carla goes. It's one thing for a grown woman to do as she pleases. It's another to watch a child run off into possible danger. So on a slow, lazy afternoon, he follows after Armin. His concern only heightens when he watches the boy approach the now infamous forest. He had shrugged off most rumors to be the ravings of miserable, muddled men. No one ever caught anything during the frenzied hunts. But still, there's a healthy sense of doubt - of wondering - of maybe, just maybe. Armin walks into the woods, whistling brightly. Hannes follows, his hand reaching for a blade.

He never gets to draw it. His hand - his whole arm - goes slack as he watches Armin greet a Titan. He was bracing himself for a bear or a wolf or hell, a tenacious squirrel. He's not prepared for a Titan! An Sina-forsaken Titan! He's been trained for it but that never means anything when the real monster shows up. He can only stand and watch as it reaches out -

Yelling. There is so much yelling. It's loud and incoherent. Armin has turned and saw him. Hannes tells him to run - stop gawking and get away! That Titan is gonna eat you! Turns out, he's the one yelling. Armin just keeps looking at him funny.

Hannes is a simple man. He likes simple pleasures. He has simple duties. He drinks too much wine. He pisses off his wife. He doesn't know much about science or math and barely learned his letters. He joined the military for easy pay. It's a steady job, keeps food in his mouth and a roof over his head. That's all a body really needs. Everything else is just trouble. If there's one thing a simple man like him knows, it's how to spot trouble from fifty paces - a hundred even.

When the Titan stays still, when Armin stays uneaten, Hannes gets that funny feeling in his gut. It's like needing to shit and trying to puke at the same time. Here's trouble, he thinks, here's big trouble.

"Are you done?"

Armin's a good kid. Or at least, Hannes thought so. Right now, watching this little blondie raise his brow, Hannes adjusts his opinion. Armin is a smart ass.

With his throat dry and his lungs aching, Hannes has no choice but to calm down. Armin explains everything then.

"Hannes, this Titan is Eren."

That's it. That's everything. Hannes felt more fucked over than the cheapest whore in Sina. He finds himself on the ground somehow. His legs had turned into curdled milk - almost but not quite butter. His chest aches and oh, he hasn't been breathing. Better do something about that. The world is very kind to go dark.

When he wakes up, a worried Grisha Jaeger peers at him. He's got his doctor tools out. He's got a sort of smile - not sorry but not not sorry. It was weird.

"You are in some deep shit," Hannes tells him bluntly. "You couldn't be in deeper shit if you scraped together every cowpie from here to Mitras."

"That's... Graphic."

A branch snaps. Hannes flings his head to the side. His eyes catching Armin and the Titan - Eren - building a fire. It's like watching a cat swim - there's just something not right about it.

"You'll need to keep this quiet."

Hannes gives Grisha a look. It's the look his wife gives him every other day. It has a whole speech and spiel attached, silently listing every single reason for how stupid he's being, how thoughtless and reckless and all other kinds of less. Grisha must get those looks too because he understood perfectly, immediately.

"Listen-"

"Your son is a Titan living behind Wall Maria. Grisha. You can't really think this will work out somehow."

"I'm working on a cure!"

Hannes barks out a laugh. "A fucking - Did you just - Wait, wait wait. Is being a Titan like a disease or something? How did Eren - Okay, actually I don't want to know. But... Grisha, you need help."

"It's fine. We're handling this."

"Your boy needs a better hiding spot. All I had to do was walk in and there he was."

"And what's he gonna do? Strut out of the forest, into the open fields? Let's just set off a flare now and tell everyone he's here. Save us the time."

Hannes has no reply to that. His heart is trying to ram its way out his ribs. He watches the Titan - Eren, it's fucking Eren, little Eren Jaeger with his father's green eyes but his mother's wide stare. Looking now, he can see those same eyes with that same stare. And it hits Hannes all at once. Eren is alive. That loud, angry boy is still here and up to no good. He presses a hand against his eyes and sucks in a shaking lungful of air.

Eren's living on borrowed time. He'll be found out soon. It's inevitable. But for now…

"I'll keep quiet."


	3. Chapter 3

Hannes starts tracking the people coming and going from Shiganshina. If he notices groups of well-armed men, he immediately sends a message to Eren.  
  
He's got a neat, little system. Since he's stuck at the gate, he sends a dog over to the woods. He's always liked dogs. And there's a few strays on the streets, running from cruel children, nothing more than giant rats. He's handy at training them.  Dogs are usually kept for herding or company. But Hannes teaches them to act as messengers. He trains them to run for the woods and howl when they get close. Whenever Eren hears his dogs howl, he finds someplace to hide.

This trick often came in handy. Hannes sends out the dogs when the merchant caravan sets out or whenever a huge party leaves Shiganshina. And there's an added benefit of the dogs keeping Eren company.  
  
Animals have never been afraid of Titans, considered neither predator or prey. They happily ignore each other. But unlike other Titans, Eren can play with the dogs. He learns to carefully scratch their bellies or throws sticks for them to fetch. They adore his attention and he enjoys their affection.

With Hannes helping, Grisha feels better about attending to patients further from Shiganshina. Right now, he's in Quinta, dealing with an outbreak of diptheria. There's a lot to be said about living behind the Walls. The people here have simple lives, mostly centered around housekeeping, with food as their biggest concern. And it's a kind of bliss, especially compared to his old life. But, it's not perfect, lacking in technological and, more importantly, medicinal advancements. Plague afflicts the districts regularly. Before, in his old life, he hadn't been too concerned with actually doing his job as a doctor. But now - here - starting a new, Grisha has dedicated most of his time to taking care of others. The public considers this noble and commendable. Privately, he calls it penance.

"Is a horse really the answer?" Rita Iglehaut, a Garrison soldier, leans against the barn door. She watches him draw blood from her finest mare. It had to be her finest mare. Any old workhorse couldn't be healthy enough to provide him with what he needs.

"Well, not as it is," Grisha replies, sealing the vial. "I'll have to prepare it. Rest assured, miss. I've done this before. Your district will be cured in no time."

Honestly, it takes him about two weeks. When he wasn't providing comfort for his patients, he monitored the mare, ensuring her recovery. A few, mostly children, die before he finished making the antiserum. The panicking survivors and their families allowed him no rest. Assurances fell from his lips like sand down an hourglass. But ultimately, he's successful and administers the cure to those in need. He sticks around for a few more days, ensuring their full recovery, before making his way home. 

The tiny bodies of the deceased children haunt him. His only comfort is at least, most were saved. He had been there for them. A couple months ago, this wouldn't have been possible. Fear kept him from leaving Shiganshina too often or for too long. An aftertaste still sticks to the back of his throat as he rides home. So he's happy to find Eren safe and sound on his return. Their protection plan appears to have worked.  
  
Of course, no plan is foolproof. Even with Carla listening in pubs, even with Hannes guarding the gate, they can only watch for threats coming from inside Shiganshina. The roads go both ways and they haven't figured how to watch for the people behind Wall Maria.  
  
This blindspot explodes in their faces on an especially cold night. The catastrophe starts when Grisha makes a house call in Wall Maria. It's supposed to be a routine visit, nothing to stress over. Then he arrives at the Ackerman home only to find two corpses. He notes a third body - the young Ackerman girl - isn't there. He rides out, aiming to ask for police assistance.

Miles away, the murderers drag a tiny, trembling Mikasa through the countryside. They're heading for Sina and want a more discreet route - no need for witnesses and all that. They decide to cut across the nearby woods.  
  
Mikasa knows these woods and the monster dwelling within. She heard of the tale from Dr. Jaeger himself. She remembers how pained he seemed as he spoke of finding his son's leftovers - not a body but _leftovers_ , tattered and bloody remains that barely resembled human much less a boy a bit younger than her. She avoided the woods ever since.  
  
But these men - they came from Sina, after all. They knew nothing of the rumors. They were going to enter the rogue beast's den. And they were taking her with them! She starts struggling. She manages to loosen the gag and she blindly babbles about the dangers ahead. They go past the treeline and she gets louder, voice climbing in pitch. They strike her - the slap echoing through the frigid air.  
  
Thump. Thump. Thump.  
  
At first, she thought it was her heart, its rapid pulse drumming against her ears. But the men hear it too. They take out their weapons. It's the beast, she thinks, the rogue beast coming to rip them apart. She'll be nothing more than a stain on the forest floor. She wished they killed her with Mama and Papa. She doesn't want to die with them.  
  
Branches snap. The earth trembles. Out from the shadows, a Titan walks out. It's about four meters tall, childishly round, with a pair of bright eyes - eyes that flick down and focus on them.

The men shoot. They scream with raw terror. They run, scrambling over roots and tripping over their feet. Mikasa is thrown over a shoulder. But the Titan is fast. A hand reaches over and drops heavily on two men. She hears bones snap and crack. The men don't get up.  
  
Her captor runs and runs. She bounces against him, watching the Titan come after them. But then they cross the treeline and the Titan stops. It stops and it looks Mikasa in the eye. It makes a strange gesture - thumping a fist against its open palm. It does this repeatedly. When it's clear she doesn't understand, it roars - low and loud and ringing.  
  
The sound startles her and she jerks, her foot smashing into the soft stomach of her kidnapper. He grunts and falls, releasing her. They hit the ground hard. A knife skids out of its pouch. He coughs, trying to catch his breath. Mikasa is alone with the last surviving killer of her parents.  

The sky is black. The dirt is damp. The air is cold. Mikasa notes this with a distant sort of understanding. She looks at the man until he stops looking like a man - only a throat gagging, limbs trembling, eyes squeezed shut. In the dark, it could be any kind of animal, curled up on the dirt like that.

She once saw lightning strike a tree. The bark had split, the soft-white tissue left naked and raw. Burning, it was no longer safe - idle - tame. Burning, it was a threat, a hazard, a vengeance. Burning, it had bridged heaven and earth, tasting divinity for a single, succulent second.  
  
She thinks of the Titan with its clenched fist, looking right at her. Its green eyes burn, filled with more life than she's ever felt in all her nine years. A hot sting kisses the back of her neck, dancing down her spine, across her ribs, to the tips of her fingers. The tree must have felt like this - to burn, to buzz, to burst full of light.

Her hands curl into fists. She hears a loud, primal roar. The Titan - but no, it’s coming from her. The man is getting back on his feet. She's faster - a well-aimed kick to the nose, her bound hands grabbing the knife. The blade glints in the faint moonlight. Swish. Splt.

* * *

Far away, Grisha hears something straight from his nightmares. A Titan's roar. It could only come from Eren. Without even finishing his statement, Grisha turns away from the two officers and dashes for his horse. They yell after him, confused and annoyed. Their surprise buys him time to put distance between them. When they finally start to really chase after him, he's disappeared into the night.  
  
Grisha heads for Eren. Something has happened. All his worst fears cloud his thoughts. Surely everyone in a 5 km radius heard that roar. They'll be scared, suspicious. The Military Police or the Garrison or both will be called to investigate. And maybe there won't be anything to investigate. Maybe someone has already found Eren and slain him. Maybe that was his last, dying breath. Grisha has no idea. He has no earthly, forsaken clue. He drives his horse faster.  
  
At the treeline, he sees a line of torches. There's a gathering of concerned farmers and other country folk peering into the forest. But they don't dare step inside. If he charges in now, he would be seen by all these people. He needs to sneak in somehow.  
  
"Doctor!"  
  
His head snaps to the side. A breathless Hannes rides up next to him.  
  
"I told the Lieutenant that I was going to investigate the noise. Come with me. We can pretend I conscripted your help or something."  
  
"Oh thank you! I was - The crowd - Just damn it all!" Grisha runs a hand through his hair.  
  
Hannes nods at him. "Stick close."

They make their way through. Hannes puts on his "soldier" voice and orders everyone to go home. The Garrison will handle it from here. Move along now, c'mon. The people slowly disperse and they head past the treeline. They catch them muttering as they go on deeper and deeper into the woods.  
  
They find Eren at his hollow mudhill. Grisha just about swoons off his horse. The boy appears whole and safe. But as they get closer, Grisha notices a smaller body tucked against him. It's the missing Ackerman, Mikasa, if he remembered right. She's fast asleep, warmed by Eren's heated skin. She's got something red wrapped clumsily around her.  
  
He recognizes the shade to be from the roll of wool he bought for Carla. It had cost him a tiny fortune to get so much but his wife needed it to finish her project. The quilt had been massive, a collection of scrapped clothes and blankets from their closets and their neighbors' closets. They had to borrow a wagon just to bring it over, and it had barely fit inside.  
  
Grisha figures Eren had torn off a piece and given it to Mikasa. Both of them were splattered with something brown and sticky, smelling strongly of copper. That raised a lot of questions. The first and foremost being -

"What the fuck happened here?"  
  
Hannes isn't very eloquent but those were Grisha's thoughts precisely. A quick investigation, some careful questioning of Eren, and eventually some shy answers from a sleepy Mikasa, pieced together an ugly picture of the night's events. With an ache building behind his eyes, Grisha orders Eren not to leave his little shelter, no matter what happens - even if Eren hears them calling for him - he must stay hidden. Then Grisha gently bundles Mikasa into his coat and takes her to his home.  
  
Carla barely blinks when Grisha arrives at their doorstep with a bloody Mikasa. By now, she's given up on any semblance of normality. Her son is a Titan. The neighborhood thinks she's gone mad with grief. Learning this small girl killed a man only earns a tired sigh from her. She lets them all in.  
  
After Mikasa is tucked into Eren's old bed, the grown ups have an emergency meeting. Hannes had to give some kind of report to his commanding officers. He told them that the beast had struck again. The mangled bodies were cold, hard proof. By morning, the Garrison would be on high alert. Word would spread to the Military Police. An official search would be sent to comb through the woods. Eren's gotten good at hiding - it's just about all he does some days - but he can't avoid a troop of soldiers descending on such a small space.

They need to act quickly. Grisha was once again faced with a paralyzing decision. His son is going to die. If they do nothing, soldiers will find him and kill him. If they do something, soldiers will find him and kill him. But there's a chance that _something_ can save him. They have nothing to lose and everything to gain. He breathes in deep.  
  
"I'm going to ask Shadis for help."  
  
Hannes blinks. "Shadis? The Survey Corps commander?"  
  
"The Survey Corps is the only military branch not involved in this situation."  
  
"And you actually want to involve them? The MP and the Garrison not enough for you?"  
  
"If we can sway Shadis to our side, we can make use of their resources."  
  
"You're suggesting we entrust your Titan son - your son who is currently a Titan - to the group known specifically for going out and killing, y'know, Titans? Have you gone insane?"  
  
"Let him speak," Carla cuts in. She turns to Grisha. "Why Keith?"  
  
"Look, asking anyone for help is already madness. So I figured... Why not ask the people already known for being mad?"  
  
"Ha!" Hannes barks out. "When you put it that way..."  
  
"We don't have a lot of options. I know it's a long shot. But-"  
  
"Let's do it." Carla looks him in the eye. He barely recognizes her. When they met, she had been a sweet, flirtatious thing. As his wife, she had been a soft touch, but firm when necessary. Now, she sits with steel in her spine, chin lifted and shoulders leveled. Her gaze could stop a man at twenty paces. This here is no shrinking flower. This here is a pillar, the face of a mountain. She will continue to stand even as the world falls apart.

He clears his throat. "Alright."  
  
"I'm coming with you. If anyone can convince Keith, it would be me."  
  
Grisha has really no reply to that. They've never spoken about her relationship with Keith. He's never been the sort of insecure man, concerned with his wife's fidelity. Bluntly put, it was never that important to him. If she fell for another, his heart would ache but he'd wish her the best. His top priority remains to his mission.  
  
Or its supposed to be. He could be risking all that he worked for with this decision. But this choice - it's not unfamiliar. He once had to choose between a so called "greater good" and the well being of his son. He failed spectacularly then, saving no one and avenging nothing. He has to try something different this time. And perhaps now, here, he won't be so desperately useless.  
  
They get new horses - well-rested horses. Hannes manages to sneak them out of Shiganshina and they set off, riding at a punishing speed. Halfway, they exchange horses at a small village then continue their way to Wall Rose. It's a race against the waning night. They're hoping the soldiers won't set out before there's enough daylight. If so, they need to get Eren out by mid-morning at least. That's just a handful of hours from now.

* * *

 

They reach Trost just as the moon reaches its peak. Grisha uses the "I'm a Doctor" excuse to get them past the Garrison guards. They head straight for the Survey Corps office. 

Keith just finished writing his latest report when he hears rapid, incessant knocking. He gets up, expecting some underpaid, military messenger with urgent news regarding what a shit job he's doing. But he opens the door and finds an exhausted Carla Jaeger, with her husband hovering just a step behind.  
  
"We need your help. Please Keith. You're our only hope."  
  
He blinks, completely confused.  
  
"Our son is in grave danger. You can save him."  
  
"Your son? Your dead child?"  
  
"We lied," Grisha cuts in. "There's - At the - It's complicated. I can explain on the way. But I'm begging you here. I'll pay you back somehow, in whatever way you'd like."  
  
"I'll suck your dick," Carla tells him in possibly the least seductive fashion. "I'll get on my knees and put your dick in my mouth. I'll do it. But you have to help us."  
  
He and Grisha stare at her. Their eyes threaten to pop out.  
  
"Holy Sina, what? You're gonna - I mean, no! Can you just tell me what's going on? For the love of all things sacred! What the fuck!"  
  
"We'll tell you everything! I promise! But time is running out!" Grisha answers. "For now... We need help for something insane, criminal, and possibly treasonous. Do you know anyone willing to do that sort of thing?"  
  
Keith blinks again. That was not the most motivating argument, the total opposite actually. But then, he glances at Carla. He can see the veins in her forearms, bulging out from how tightly she squeezed her fists. It reminds him of soldiers, clinging to their blades as they stared at Death’s bared teeth. His resolve crumbles. He breathes out slowly and feels himself age at least twenty years in the last five seconds.  
  
"Yes. As it just so happens. I know exactly who to ask."

* * *

 

They thank him zealously. A headache builds behind his eyes. They ask if the Corps has any way to transport something very big and very heavy. Because that's not suspicious at all. He tells them of the wagon used for harvesting lumber. It's built to carry logs at least 15m long, if that's big enough for them. He's half-worried they'll say it's too small. But they hurriedly agree to go fetch it, leaving him to round up the necessary personnel.  
  
Keith honestly can't tell if he woke Smith or not. The man always seems combat ready, even when called on at midnight. After bluntly rejecting his scouting formation, he expected some form of resentment. But Smith readily follows orders to meet at the stables and to exercise extreme discretion. He's made of sterner stuff. Keith tries to stifle his skepticism - and, being honest - pangs of envy.  Some days, it feels so obvious that Smith is the better soldier and Keith is only making a fool of himself in trying to command him. This just seems to be more proof.  
  
Pausing in the hallway, he shakes his head. Now's not the time to worry about such things. There's apparently an urgent matter at hand. He walks on.  
  
Zoë and the new recruit, Levi, were less prepared to be disturbed. Levi was actually outright hostile. But an order is an order - no matter how unofficial the situation may be. And it might be going against certain protocols to have soldiers take care of a private affair. But, the Jaegers were at least clear on that front. Tonight was not a night for protocols.

In the stables, he looks from Zoë to Levi to Smith - insane, criminal, and treasonous in that same order. They get ready as the Jaegers roll up with a huge wagon in tow. And they took the liberty of borrowing a couple of horses for it. Keith has a vague hope that this debacle won't cost them those horses. The Survey Corps have the finest of steeds, taking ages to breed and train them as necessary.  
  
"Is this it?" Grisha asks.  
  
"Your requirements narrowed down the list significantly," he replies flatly.  
  
"Ah, well," Grisha coughs. "Then let's get going."  
  
As the they saddle up, Keith overhears Levi and Zoë pester Smith.  
  
"We're following civilians now?"  
  
"Erwin, you know what's going on?"  
  
"We'll explain everything on the way," Grisha cuts in.  
  
"So hurry!" Carla snaps. "The sooner we leave, the quicker you get your answers."  
  
Keith pretends not to notice the shared look between the three soldiers. He probably has the same look on his face - brows raised, eyes widened. This Carla is new to him. He once insulted her - shouting right at her face - and all she did was laugh him off. But now, he wants to shrink himself - to curl into his bones - than risk speaking up in her presence.

They ride, driving the horses at breakneck speed. The Jaegers remain silent. Just before Keith fires off his question, they cross the Trost gate.  
  
"I turned my son into a Titan."  
  
Keith tries very hard not to fall off his horse. At full gallop, he'd be risking severe injury or even death. But he finds it difficult - truly a challenge - to stay upright.  
  
At his back, the hush is a palpable, weighted thing. Then, all at once -  
  
"WHAT?!"  
  
"Oi, oi, are you drunk?"  
  
"How is that possible?"  
  
"I didn't sign up to follow some drunk bastard on a midnight stroll."  
  
"REALLY?!"  
  
Zoë's shrieking could easily have woken the whole city. Now it makes sense for Grisha to keep quiet for so long.  
  
"You need us to move him."  
  
Keith watches Smith out the corner of his eye. Damn that man. His mind works like lightning - brilliant, blinding flashes that highlight any situation at hand. And Keith is the thunder, always a half-step behind, never catching up or racing ahead.  
  
Grisha glances back at Smith, esteem written in the lines of his brow. "Yes. How did you guess?"

“The wagon is a big clue.”

Grisha coughs out a laugh.  
  
"And… If you simply wanted him slain, the Garrison would have sufficed. But you reached out to us, specifically. Because it's not a straightforward task. You had... requirements... Mainly to be discreet. Can I assume this isn't a sanctioned mission?"  
  
Keith can feel the soldiers staring at him. "They have my approval." The stares get heated and heavier. "They have _only_ my approval. No one else knows -"  
  
"And it's going to stay that way," Carla barks out.

"Yes, of course," Zoë replies, clearly distracted. "Can we _please_ go back to you TURNING your SON into a TITAN?! I have so many questions."  
  
Grisha nods. "Be forewarned, I don't have all the answers. But let me start you off with some basics. First, all Titans used to be human."  
  
Keith grips his reins tighter. He focuses on the road. Panic later, just keep riding.  
  
"Titans are made through an injected serum. It's basically a death sentence. Once someone transforms... They can never turn back."  
  
"So, you're telling me," Carla speaks up, voice chilled the way window panes frost over in winter. "You kept something that dangerous in the house. Our house. Where we live. Raising our son."  
  
"Carla, you didn't know?" Keith wants to be surprised. But mostly, he feels vindicated. Grisha has always been a man of mystery. Carla married him anyways. Now look where they are.  
  
"The 'why' doesn't really matter. I can't keep this from happening. I can keep my son alive. So that's what I'll worry about. But if my husband admits to being very stupid, I'll be sure to say something. I can multitask."  
  
Keith hears a sharp spray of laughter. He thinks it's from Levi.  
  
"That's fair," Grisha mutters. "In my defense, I hadn't expected our son to run in like that. He crashed into the shelves and the serum vial fell on him. The glass cut him up, allowing for direct entry into his bloodstream."  
  
"But so!" Zoë again. "If your son is a Titan, why didn't we hear of an attack? Do you have him restrained somehow?!"

"Ah, see. That's where it gets interesting."  
  
"Oh fan-fucking-tastic. Now it's interesting? Like it hadn't been a major shit show before?"  
  
"Hush! Don't ruin this for me! Please go on, Dr. Jaeger."  
  
"Right. Yes. When a person turns into a Titan, the transformation is instantaneous. There's a clap of lightning and the flesh - bones - all that mass just magically appears. I have no explanation for it. But for my son... How to put this... His transformation makes more sense? As in, I can deduce an explanation. He basically grew. It took him hours and hours but I watched as his skeleton expanded, as his muscles inflated. He was spontaneously growing cells at an incredible rate."  
  
"Wait, wait, wait. Alright, let me see if I understand. For a regular Titan transformation, the extra mass appears out of nowhere. Generated from thin air?"  
  
Grisha hums in thought. There's a brief pause. "I... There's a theory. And it's even more outlandish. Supposedly, the mass gets sent through time and space. From other people. That the flesh is borrowed somehow."  
  
The silence rings loud and clear.  
  
"WHAT?!"  
  
"Zoë," Keith snaps. "This is a covert mission. Kindly refrain from announcing our presence to everyone within a 5km radius."  
  
"... Sorry, sir."

Grisha coughs. "Yes. Even to me, this theory sounded completely crazy. So with Eren, my son, it was... I could see his body creating the new mass. I just have no idea how. Ordinarily, people grow via a mixture of diet and lifestyle but -"  
  
He cut off so abruptly that Keith wonders if he bit his tongue. Seconds pass. Then a minute. Then three minutes.  
  
"Dear?" Carla speaks up.  
  
Grisha shakes his head. "It's nothing."  
  
It is most certainly not nothing. But Keith refrains from pressing the point. There's already so much for him to process. If he even can. He doubts it. All of this upends the foundations of his reality. The world will never be the same for him. He lets out a slow breath. Panic later, Keith, panic later.  
  
"As you know, Titans are mindless. They see people and they eat them. When Eren transformed, I fully expected having to deal with a rabid monster. But my son retained his mental faculties. He can communicate coherently, and he can make decisions soundly. He acts exactly how he used to as a normal child. He's literally just bigger. In fact, even more mind boggling, his hair is getting longer. His nails too. There's evidence that he's growing in his Titan state. And that's... That's unheard of - impossible - astounding."  
  
A sound like nails on a chalkboard - like the axles of an unoiled wheel - like a panicking piglet. At first, it was soft. Keith dismissed it to be his ears playing tricks on him. But then it got louder and steadily louder.  
  
"Knock it out!"  
  
"Yes, please Hanji."  
  
It's Zoë again. Of course. Keith gives up on disciplining them. Thankfully, they stop making the noise. If only because they ran out of breath.  
  
"Best. Night. Ever."  
  
Carla whips around to glare at them. "Excuse me? Need I remind you? My son is in mortal danger!"  
  
"Oh! Yes! We're definitely going to save him."

"But why us? Why the need for all this secrecy?" Erwin prods. "Unless you don't trust the military and its King to approve of your son. This whole situation can easily be conceived as a great boon to humanity. But you're hiding it because... It will be perceived as a threat... To certain parties... Am I safe to assume that?"  
  
Grisha doesn't answer immediately. He takes his sweet time thinking of a reply. He turns to look Smith straight in the eye. "I was very lucky indeed to not cross paths with you until now."

He faces the road again and says not another word. No one else speaks up. They ride in silence as the sky slowly blushes pink.


	4. Chapter 4

An hour and a half goes by, with everyone absorbed in their own thoughts. Then Dr. Jaeger gestures ahead. The usual flat scenery of farmland and pastures gets interrupted by a row of trees - not especially tall but quite dense. Glancing at it, no one could say anything particularly different about this forest, much less suspect it of harboring a Titan.  
  
Except Erwin did notice something strange. He didn't think much of the dogs darting out the corner of his eyes. Those were probably herding dogs kept by a nearby shepherd. But then, they got closer to the forest and the dogs began to howl. It wasn't in unison but it was frequent enough to be noticeable.  
  
"Tch. Lazy fucks letting their mutts run loose.”  
  
Erwin would have dismissed such behavior in the same fashion. If it weren't for their present circumstances. He can recognize a signaling system when he sees one.  
  
Sure enough, as they near the treeline, the dogs start barking and growling - circling closer. The horses take notice and these are Corps horses so they don't scare easy. But they do get a bit spooked, enough so that they slow down.  
  
"What the hell?"  
  
Right before they enter the forest, a dog darts in front of them, baring its teeth. The Jaegers' horse whinnies loud and rears up, shocking the other horses into a halt.  
  
"It's a protective formation," Erwin murmurs.  
  
"Guard dogs? For what? The Titan?"  
  
Hanji lets out another building squeal. Levi reaches over and thumps them. They shut up.

"Hannes," Mrs. Jaeger clicks her tongue. "This was his idea. I don't know how to get them to back down."  
  
Erwin didn't know who this Hannes was. But he's suspecting an introduction is in order. Dogs! In a signaling system! The idea is so blatantly obvious - he's almost ashamed to not have considered it earlier.  
  
A sharp whistle cuts through the tension. The lead dog perks up and proceeds to relax, sitting on its haunches. Its pack follows its lead. A short, blond boy dashes out, shadowed by a young girl.  
  
"Armin? Mikasa?" Mrs. Jaeger cries out.  
  
"Hello, sorry! I went by your house this morning and you weren't there. But then I met Mikasa," the boy points to his companion. "I noticed her scarf. It looked like a piece of Eren's quilt. So I figured they met. She told me everything."  
  
"That's - What are you doing out here?"  
  
"Even better question, why are children involved at all?" Commander Shadis barks out.  
  
Dr. Jaeger lets out a very long, pain-filled sigh. He quickly explains that his son - his Titan-turned son - had saved Mikasa from kidnappers. And this act of heroism resulted in their current need to move Eren somewhere else.

"There's something off." Levi turns to him. "Don't you think something's weird?"  
  
Erwin nods. He looks to Dr. Jaeger. "Excuse me. You might have forgotten to tell us something."  
  
Dr. Jaeger blinks. Then he pushes up his glasses. "I don't know what - Oh! Hm... Well… My son has been a Titan for about three? Three months now."  
  
Mrs. Jaeger jumps. "Oh my god! We forgot to celebrate his birthday!"  
  
They all turn to stare at her.  
  
"Is that... You're worried about that? Really, dear?"  
  
"Oh hush you."  
  
"You've been keeping your Titan son. In a shithole like this. For three months," Levi spits out. "And you're only in trouble now? What? Was there some kinda divine fucking intervention going on?"  
  
"We thought up a lot of ways to give Eren some advance warning," the boy - Armin - chimes in. When all eyes focus on him, he wilts like a dried up flower. "I - I mean, it's just... We had to? Since, you know, like you said... It's not the best place to hide in."  
  
"I hadn't known how long Eren's transformation would take," Dr. Jaeger explains. "Eren should have transformed in the middle of Shiganshina. But when he didn't, I just took him to the closest secluded spot. I didn't dare search for someplace farther, in case I got stuck out in the middle of a field or the road. This is the best hiding place for the circumstances given."  
  
"THREE?! MONTHS?!!" Hanji shrieks. "Dr. Jaeger, you must share all of your observations. 90 days to study a Titan! I must be dreaming. Levi - Levi - Levi, pinch me!"  
  
"Not even if you paid me to."

The children shoot the Jaegers a questioning look.  
  
"They're here to help," Mrs. Jaeger assures them.  
  
They don't seem very assured. They climb onto the wagon, watching the soldiers warily. The party starts to move again, slower this time. The dogs shadow the horses, no longer hostile but not quite friendly either.  
  
They enter the forest, careful not to startle the Titan living within. It's a quiet place. Erwin doesn't notice much by way of woodland creatures. Sunlight freckles the ground in sporadic bursts, mostly kept away by the canopy of branches above. Apart from the hoofbeats and wagon wheels, there's not much to hear. And yet a Titan lives here.  
  
"You two never answered my question," Mrs. Jaeger says, sending the children a sharp look.  
  
The Armin boy flushes. "It's just - after Mikasa told me - I knew there'd be trouble. So we rushed over to help. Eren was freaking out."  
  
"And where is Eren?" Hanji butts in.  
  
Armin eyes them with obvious suspicion. "At the usual place. We told him to stay put."  
  
"You had a plan?" Mrs. Jaeger raises a brow.  
  
"... Of a sort. We thought to, maybe, distract any search parties or whatever. That's - When the dogs started howling, we were gonna rush over with a sob story of being lost... Something like that."  
  
It was a clever plan. It wouldn't have worked for very long. But Erwin commends the attempt. His feelings aren't shared by Mrs. Jaeger, shaking her head.  
  
They stop in front of a lumpy, drooping hill. It certainly seems out of place, but only on close examination. A casual passerby would never investigate a hill.  
  
The Jaegers dismount. Armin and Mikasa hop off the wagon. They approach the hill with soft steps.  
  
"Eren, sweetheart. It's me. It's Mom. We brought help. We're getting you out of here. Can you come out for me?"

The seconds seem to lengthen, stretched by the intense anticipation. Erwin could see Hanji squirming in their saddle. Commander Shadis resembles a statue, all hard lines and unyielding posture. In contrast, Levi appears relaxed, his limbs hang loose with his hands falling open. He always appears that way before battle. His muscles aren't at ease more than he's allowing flexibility to enter his form. This way, he can adapt to whatever madness breaks forth. Levi must be the most anxious of them all.  
  
There's a muffled scraping sound. It's the undeniable noise of something very big and very heavy moving about. Then, without ceremony, a four meter Titan crawls out from behind the misshapen hill.  
  
It's almost a let down. Eren Jaeger looks no different from any other Titan. On an expedition, Erwin wouldn't have thought twice about slaying him. But then, Eren catches sight of him and the other Corps soldiers. His whole face transforms. Not in the literal sense, it's more like watching someone wake up. His eyes brighten, his brow lifts. He looks alive in a way Erwin hadn't realized other Titans don't.  
  
The Corps soldiers tense as Eren raises his hands. It's reflexive at this point - seeing a Titan move means they must be ready to act. But Eren doesn't reach for them or smash the ground or anything remotely aggressive. His hands do something... Strange? Curious?  
  
"Is there - What is he doing?" Erwin asks, leaning forward. He squints as Eren's fingers wave and curl, his palms open and close.  
  
Armin turns to them. "Oh right. See. He can't talk. His mouth is all weird. And his tongue too, maybe. Um. So we had to come up with a new way for him to... You know... And we came up with this! Sign language! 'Cause you make signs with your hands."  
  
"Hold up! He's speaking to us? He's communicating? Right now?!" Hanji flails about, nearly falling off their horse.

Armin takes a step back. "Ye- Yes? I mean. Like right now..."  
  
They all look at Eren. He's still making these signs - signing? He's still signing at them.  
  
"That's 'no' and 'go away' and 'embarrassed' - Wait! What do you mean embarrassed?! Eren, what - where are you going?"  
  
Eren shuffles back behind the hill. Armin chases after him. It's surreal to watch; a tiny slip of a child yelling at a curled up, half-hidden Titan. But it sure is happening before their very eyes.  
  
"Why are you - Hey, c'mon! What's the matter?"  
  
Eren rapidly signs.  
  
"Seriously? That's - I can't believe you!"  
  
Eren signs some more, clearly agitated.  
  
"Hey munchkin," Levi calls out to the girl - Mikasa. "You catch any of that?"  
  
Armin crosses his arms. "Who cares?! You can't stay here! You'll die! They can bring you somewhere else!"  
  
Mikasa glances at Levi, eyes narrowed. "You can't be that much bigger than me."  
  
Levi's jaw tightens. "Just answer the question."  
  
Armin has resorted to tugging at Eren's finger. "You are such a stubborn prick!"  
  
Mikasa pulls up her scarf, turning away. "I only met Eren yesterday."  
  
"Then say no. It's that fucking easy.”  
  
"Language," Mrs. Jaeger murmurs, clearly a conditioned reply.  
  
Levi gifts her with a incredulous glare. She doesn't notice, her attention fixed on Eren.

"Sweetheart, please," she calls out. "Can you be a good boy and work with us?"  
  
There's a pause. Then Eren peers out from his little shelter. His gaze fixes on the Corps soldiers. Erwin finds it difficult to describe the emotions found within those green eyes. He's still adjusting to seeing a Titan seem so alert and aware. A part of him finds it very unsettling and he stifles a need to run.  
  
Eren looks to Armin. The boy nods. Eren starts to sign.  
  
"He... likes you... A lot. He... wants... A bird? Is that a bird? Oh no, I get it." Armin sighs and turns to them. "We used to watch you guys come back from your expeditions. Eren wanted to join the Survey Corps. He... He really admired you. And..."  
  
Eren bows his head, avoiding everyone's gaze.  
  
"He's embarrassed to be seen like this. As Humanity's most hated enemy."

Out the corner of his eye, Erwin watches Dr. Jaeger, left off to the side. The good doctor has gone still and quiet; his gaze stuck on some unknown point, clearly ignoring everyone else. But Erwin notes the deepening lines of his brow, the way his hands are clenched together. Something difficult seems to be on his mind. Oh if Erwin could crack him open like a walnut, pull out the kernels of information from his thoughts.

Levi scoffs. "What a spoiled brat. You're what? Five?"  
  
Eren holds up eight fingers.

Mrs. Jaeger clears her throat. "Oh sweetie. You're nine now."

Eren blinks then his eyes widen, eyebrows rising. He stares at his hands and lifts one more finger.

Mrs. Jaeger laughs softly. "Happy birthday, baby boy."

"Yeah. Real sweet. Get on the damn wagon."  
  
Eren makes a frustrated noise - the first noise the soldiers have heard from him. Their hands immediately fly to their gear. But Eren simply turns to his parents. Dr. Jaeger seems more pained than ever. It's Mrs. Jaeger who gets closer, reaching up. Eren lowers his head, allowing her to pat him on the cheek. Something unspoken passes between mother and son. Then Eren sighs and stands up.  
  
Four meters isn't very impressive but it's still hard for Erwin to stay idle as a Titan - a real, live Titan - approaches him. He manages somehow. His comrades acquit themselves nicely too. The horses stomp and whine but they make sure to keep them in check. Taking in the reality of Eren's state, Erwin notices a problem.  
  
"We can't just roll him out of the woods," Commander Shadis says. "In general, people might be stupid. But they will notice if we have a Titan with us."  
  
"We can cover him up," Mrs. Jaeger replies, brushing off the question. "I made him a quilt."  
  
"You made him a quilt," the Commander echoes. "Why? Why would you make him a quilt?"

"Quilts make for a nice present. It really shows that you care."  
  
The Commander's expression grows more severe. "No. I still don't understand. Why would you make a quilt?"  
  
Mrs. Jaeger tilts her head, blissfully (or maybe willfully) misinterpreting. "Are you asking me why people make quilts? Have you never used a quilt?"  
  
Erwin steadily ignores the stifled snickering from Hanji and the strained tension in Levi.    
  
Mrs. Jaeger offers a beatific smile. "Oh Keith. If only someone loved you enough to make one. Then you'd understand."  
  
Erwin breathes in sharply. He peers out the corner of his eye, studying Commander Shadis. A furious red creeps up his neck. It's a definite marker of a man about to say something incredibly stupid.  
  
"Excellent!" Erwin speaks up, slicing through the tension the way he'd slice through a Titan's nape. "Eren, go ahead and get on the wagon. Time is of the essence."  
  
Mrs. Jaeger narrows her eyes briefly. But she refrains from commenting and simply nods. Grabbing hold of her husband, she waves over Armin and Mikasa.  
  
"Come help gather Eren's things," she tells them.  
  
The children follow her. They all duck behind the hill.  
  
Hanji pulls up next to him, grinning widely. "Nice save, Erwin."  
  
They both glance at the Commander. His expression resembles a constipated bear. He keeps muttering under his breath. They hear "what the" and "it's a Titan" and "no need for". Erwin and Hanji share a meaningful look.  
  
The sound of heavy footsteps draw their attention to Eren. He gets close to the wagon, but he doesn't climb on.  
  
"Oi, brat. You wanna die or what?" Levi yells out. "Move it!"

Eren makes another noise - more of a high-pitched groan. It's the kind of sound heard from children ordered to finish their chores. Erwin feels a smile curl on his mouth. A heavy weight lifts from his chest. He'd been suffocating and hadn't known until now, dragging in his first, easy breath since seeing Eren.  
  
"Let's get this boy out of here."  
  
Hanji beams at him, vibrating with excitement.

* * *

They pick up the pace. It’s about damn time. They shoulda left already but everyone hadda flap their jaws like it’s tea time.

The brat lies down on the wagon and somehow, it doesn’t fall apart. Thank fuck. The Jaegers come back, dragging a big-ass quilt behind them. With help from Erwin and the fuckwit Commander, they manage to cover Eren completely. Goldilocks - Armand or whatever - walks up, carrying a bundle of rope. They carefully strap down the quilt, making sure it won't fly off in transit.

Munchkin brings over a basket of strange shit. There's a lantern, several books, a couple of buckets, and this… log - whittled to a point on one end. She hands the basket to the brat’s waiting palm. He tucks it close to him as he huddles under the quilt.  
  
When everything is in order, the wagon is handed over to Shadis. His horse is left with the Jaegers. But before they can part ways, the Jaeger woman loudly clears her throat.  
  
"It might be handy for you to know some of my son's signs. Here's three basic ones."

Levi squints, watching as she quickly shows 'okay', 'bad', and 'help'.

"He cannot talk but that doesn't mean he has nothing to say. Check in with him and -"  
  
"Yes. Alright," Shadis cuts in. "Do you want us to get caught? We should have left by now."

He coulda said that earlier, when it mattered more. But no, he says it now, in the middle of something actually important. Useless bastard.  
  
She pins the fuckwit with a look that could flip his balls inside out. Levi almost smirks. But then she turns and glares at every Survey Corps soldier.  
  
"I do not care if you have been trained in combat. I do not need violence to win my battles. If something happens to my son... There will be poison in your water. There will be toxins in your bed. You will not sleep - you will not eat - you will not drink, fuck, shit in peace ever again. Do I make myself very clear?"  
  
A shiver skitters down Levi's spine. “Hoh, not bad.”  
  
"We will take care of him," Erwin says, smoothly speaking up. "I know of somewhere we can go.”  
  
"Do you now?"  
  
Erwin thumps a fist over his heart. "Your son will remain hidden. You have my word."  
  
The Jaeger woman never stops glaring at them. But she keeps her mouth shut. They finally ride out of the damp, shitty forest. Clearing the treeline, the Jaegers steer left, circling around to take the long way home. They push on straight. Not even a minute after leaving, they hear the mutts howling again. Looks like the Garrison finally got their asses moving. It only took - what? Four hours? Six? Absolutely hopeless.

They stick to an ‘oh shit’ speed, really rattling down the road. The quilt stays strapped on so if Levi bothered to believe in God, this would be a good time to start. Once they’re far enough from the woods, they find a musty-ass hut to park themselves. Gotta give their horses a break - poor bastards been working since sun up.

The fucking Four-Eyes just about explodes off their saddle. They rush over to the wagon.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing, Lieutenant?” Shadis yells out.

“Uh, checking on our -”

“Shut your damn mouth before I do it for you. We are in the open or did those glasses stop working?”

“Ahahaha, sorry sir.”

Erwin slides off his horse. “The place looks abandoned. But you never know. Permission to check for squatters?”

“Granted.”

Erwin walks off. Hanji creeps closer to the wagon. Shadis snarls at them. Levi eyes the quilt, watching for any movement. But the brat stays still. He really could pass for a pile of lumber. Weird and bumpy lumber, sure, but no one’s gonna look and think “that’s a Titan under there”.

Unless they’re totally batshit. Then everyone usually ignores them. Too bad. The crazies are gonna take over. Levi watches Hanji wring their hands. Someday, maybe soon. They’ll get the world all figured out.

Erwin comes back. He gives them the “all clear”. Shadis steps off the wagon as Hanji zooms right on. They peek under the quilt. A big, watery eye blinks open.

“Hiya, Eren! You doing okay there, buddy?”

Levi knows fuck all about kids, especially Titan-turned brats. But Eren seems alright - just a bit wary. Makes sense. They’re total strangers, taking him from everyone and everything he loves. Levi’s been expecting some kinda meltdown.

The wagon starts to creak, rocking side to side. Levi reaches for his gear. He shoulda known not to jinx it. His stupid instincts gotta always be right. Damn it all.

Eren pulls up his hand. Its forefinger and thumb makes a circle, holding up the remaining fingers. Levi recognizes it as the sign for “okay”. He freezes, his whole body still primed to act. But Eren does nothing more.

Hanji gasps. “He replied to me… He just - He understood and he formed a response -”

Levi tunes them out. He breathes out slow, rolling his shoulders, letting himself relax. Aw fuck. He almost went apeshit over nothing. Shaking his head, he dismounts and sets about watering his horse. He does the same for Hanji’s horse, seeing that the Four-Eyes won’t leave Eren alone. They can’t be talking about much since the brat can only say “okay” and “bad”. Yet Hanji looks ready to piss themselves - they’re that happy.

Levi turns away and pins his gaze on Erwin speaking to Shadis. They’re up to something, as usual. He watches them nod at each other then walk over to them. Shadis looks resigned. It must be Erwin’s idea.

“Listen up,” Shadis barks out. “Zoë, I’m looking at you. Eyes on me.”

Levi notes that Eren follows the order. His eye looks at Shadis, blinking slowly. His hand lies flat on the wagon.

“We’re bringing Eren to the old Survey Corps headquarters. It’s been abandoned for years. Once there, he won’t likely be discovered. However, that’s not much of a guarantee. So…” Shadis grimaces here. “... A special task force might be in order. Smith will be leading it.”

The words fall from his mouth like he’s spitting out barbed wire. He avoids their stares, his eyes distant - fixed on some random point. They wait for him to continue, but he remains silent.

“Sir, permission to speak?”

Shadis breathes out. “Yes. Okay. Smith will inform you of the rest.”

He spins on his heel and walks away. He’s distancing himself from this - whatever this is. Nothing good, Levi would bet.

“Right.” Erwin clears his throat. “This whole operation isn’t precisely legal. And yet, we haven’t _precisely_ broken any laws. But then, what law could’ve been prepared for Eren?”

“Enough with the speech, Eyebrows. We’re not some stuffed-up noble. You don’t need to kiss our asses,” Levi drawls.

“Unless you want to. In which case, I consent,” Hanji chirps.

Erwin gifts them with a pained grin. “There’s a child present. In case you’ve forgotten.”

“His dad’s a doctor. I’m sure he knows about sex.”

“We’re getting off topic. As I was saying… This task force will be a secret. The government and its military will know nothing about it. Therefore, any involvement can, and likely will, be considered treason. All participants will either be imprisoned or executed. Are we clear so far?”

Levi snorts. “Unbelievable. You drag me into your little Corps. But all I’m doing is the same, shady shit.”

Hanji raises their hand. “Question! Why can’t the government know?”

Erwin pauses. His mouth flattens into a grim line. “Dr. Jaeger had reservations with seeking their help. I think his paranoia has merit.”

Hanji hums in thought but says not another word. They got a strange grin on their face. Levi doesn’t like the looks of it.

Erwin clears his throat. “If you walk away now, there won’t be any consequences. But if you stay, then I expect a full and thorough commitment. No more backing out.”

“Erwin. We wouldn’t be in the Survey Corps if we thought backing out is a viable option.” Hanji claps their hands together. “Aaaaaaand, you couldn’t pull me from Eren’s side, not even with a pry bar.”

Erwin offers them a more genuine smile. He turns to Levi.

“Same shit, different ass,” Levi tells him, rolling his eyes. “You say stuff like I was a law-abiding citizen and I’d be scared of defying authority. Oh please.”

“Good to know I can count on you - both of you.” Erwin nods. “Now, the task force will be in charge of the care and keeping of Eren Jaeger. We will remain part of the Survey Corps and attend to all of our duties in it. And yes, Hanji, I understand that expeditions will pose a problem. I will handle it when the time comes.”

“Yes, sure, uhuh. But what about experiments? I just got handed a Titan on a silver - err, wooden wagon! I can’t not study him!”

The wagon creaks. Eren raises their hand and signs “bad”.

“Hanji, the Titan is also a child. His parents entrusted us with his well-being. We can't just go about frightening him." Erwin pauses here, sighing. "But it would be foolish to waste such a chance."

He looks Eren straight in the eye. “We mean you no harm. And we won’t do anything without your clear cooperation. But you must understand that you present a very unique opportunity for us. You could be the key to defeating the Titans. You’d be freeing all of humanity.”

Eren holds Erwin’s gaze for a long, few seconds. Then he raises his hand higher and slowly, shyly flashes the “okay” sign.

Ugh. Damn Eyebrows. The man could charm the skin off a grape. The brat never stood a chance. And it’s always for the good of humanity, bullshit. Someday, that won’t work and he’ll need some new material.

When it’s obvious that they’re all done talking, Shadis comes back. He wants no part in this. He’s made that clear as day. But he’ll keep their secrets. It had been his say so that got them all into this mess. He’s the one with ties to that Jaeger woman. He won’t snitch. Levi trusts the bastard to do at least that much. From the looks of it, Erwin feels the same, his cool gaze watching Shadis approach.

“If we’re all done here, the horses got enough of a rest. Let’s move out before the Garrison decides to actually be competent at their jobs.”

“Yes, sir.”

Eren pulls the quilt back over himself. Hanji checks to make sure the ropes stay secure. Then they ride on, taking the direct route to Trost. At the gate, they make up some shit about getting lumber. When the guards point out the quilt, Erwin spins a tale about a crazy woodsman insisting on a cover for the logs. Something about rain. Or maybe it was a gift from a grateful family. Levi wasn’t really paying attention.

They get past the gates somehow. Now they just need to get past an entire city. No fucking problem. Levi hisses out a few swears every time some blind bystander accidentally bumps into the wagon or whenever the wheels hit a pothole. He never noticed how shit the roads were. It’s miracle anyone gets anywhere without an accident. They do manage to roll on through. And Levi’s never been more grateful to see the open fields of Rose.

It’s mostly a smooth ride all the way to the old headquarters. By then, it’s about mid-afternoon. The horses are exhausted. He can feel his trembling and swaying. They dismount and walk around, checking for any trespassers. Once they got the all clear, Hanji helps Eren off the wagon.

Levi gets sent into the castle. The place is fucking filthy. There’s dust and mold everywhere. A couple of racoons made their nest in the attic. It’s a total shit show and he itches for a broom or a dust rag. Holding his breath, he quickly finds a couple of torches and gets the fuck out.

In the yard, Hanji is squealing up a storm. Miles away from the nearest settlement, they’re free to do as they please. Shadis and Erwin watch on as Hanji marvels over Eren. The brat took out that pointed log and he’s drawing - no, he’s writing in the dirt. He’s making new signs so he must be teaching Hanji some new words. Too bad they’re not really paying much attention.

“Look at that! Such fine motor control! He’s being so very gentle and careful! Oh sorry - please repeat that… What’s sex? … You don’t know?”

Yeah, Levi isn’t getting in the middle of that. He marches over to Shadis and Erwin, handing them the torches.

“We can't simply leave him unsupervised. We’ll need someone to stay the night here,” Shadis murmurs.

“Hanji would love to volunteer, I’m sure,” Erwin replies.

"That's it?" Levi cuts in. "You're just gonna dump the kid here?"

"Once we finish preparations, then the investigation can start."

"I'm not talking about the investigation - and let's be honest, you're just planning to shake Jaeger like a fruit tree and hope something falls out. And we know Four-Eyes probably got a whole list of experiments already planned for the Titan shit. I meant the kid - the fucking eight-year-old."

"He's nine, actually."

"Piss off. Have you ever looked after a kid?"

Erwin's got the face of someone who ran into a pole. If only Levi could draw it - he'd frame the sketch, hang it on a wall somewhere, give it a good look every once in a while.

"Well. No. Have you?"

"Fuck no. Ain't no kids where I'm from. Just thieves and troublemakers. Right, Commander?"

The shithead turns to Erwin with a big-ass smile. “It seems you have a lot of work to do.”

Erwin huffs. "Surely childcare can't be _that_ difficult. Children only need - what? Food? Regular exercise? Maybe even a bath?"

"You're not talking about a pet here, Smith. This-"

"A bath, huh?" Levi feels a grin curve his lips. "How about that. You _do_ have brains under those eyebrows."

"Was there any doubt?" Erwin asks wryly.

"Be serious," Shadis barks out. "Do you really intend to-"

“Look at him! He’s got mud everywhere - between his toes, all over his arms, covering his hands. There’s a fucking bird’s nest in his hair. And I’m sure I saw moss growing on his ass. Okay? We are getting this brat clean, first thing in the morning.”

Erwin and Shadis stare at him. Levi can see a bit of fear and awe in their eyes. It reminds him of his Underground days, shaking down lowlives to earn a living. He lets himself smirk.

This mission just got a little more interesting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shout out to RedCoaster for the inspiration


	5. Chapter 5

Eren's earliest memories had his Mom seated by the stove. She'd have a lapful of yarn to knit or clothes to mend, with the setting sun tangled in her hair. In those empty hours, between cleaning up lunch and prepping for dinner, she liked to drink tea. The scent of chamomile and lemon would fill the house, greeting him after a day of play or waking him from a short nap. She'd look up, see him standing by, and reach out with her calloused hand, ruffling his already messy hair. She'd let him drink from her cup - warning him to sip slowly. But he never listened. His tongue always got burned.  
  
Transforming had felt like that - swallowing a heat that scalded the pink undersides of skin. His everything hurt. He hadn't known why. He hadn't known how. He hadn't even known what was happening to him. He only knew pain.  
  
When it was all over, Eren couldn't tell that he was a Titan. He had been too busy not burning. Really, he hadn't felt much of anything. He was lying on the ground, outside in the dead winter. But the dirt didn't seem hard and the air didn't seem cold. The world was distant, muffled, as if he was tucked inside a thick blanket.

Then he had seen his Dad. He had first thought that Dad shrunk. Trying to get a better look, he found it harder to move. He looked and learned his body was very big - huge - titanic. The pieces started to come together.  
  
Eren hadn't freaked out. He's very proud of that. He had focused on other things like listening to his Dad and trying to make him feel better. It had been weird seeing him cry - like watching a bird fly backwards. And for awhile, he got to fuss over him. But there was no running from the truth. He got a grim reminder when he reached out and realized his hand could crush Dad.  
  
He hadn't known what to do. So he did nothing. He curled up on the ground, trying to sort it all out. He should have been something - scared or angry. But he had only felt lost, frozen, stuck empty.  
  
Mom helped. A lot. Eren cried just from seeing her. He was four all over again. He was four and running to his Mom for every booboo and bad dream. She made him feel small and safe and snug - like a big ol' baby. But that's better than feeling like a monster. His Mom had stood - shaking all over - only a few steps from him, and she never flinched, not once. She did slap Dad which was a little scary. Eren found it hard to panic when she was angry enough for the both of them. It was nice, honestly. It really seemed like she knew what to do. Even if she couldn't hold him, simply being close was enough.  
  
He tried not to think very much after that. It was hard since he didn't really have much to do. Sure, he had to run and hide every time someone looked at the forest funny. But then, he'd just end up sitting in the mud, not moving for minutes if he's lucky - hours if he's not. He quickly learns it's totally possible to be stupidly terrified and terribly bored at the same time.

Still, he does his hard-headed best. Those slow days alone in the forest, he could and did ignore everything else. He'd walk around, pretending the trees were simply small. And from what he could tell, his hands - arms - legs - feet still looked pretty human. But the biggest difference was not sleeping. At night, the hours stretched long and dark. He'd lie on his back or sit against a tree, counting the stars or the leaves on a branch. He never felt anywhere close to tired, just lonely, and even more bored. He got so very, very bored.

Yet Eren would choose boredom over the dreams. So it seems he didn't need sleep to dream. He could be watching an ant crawl or the snow melt, then he'd blink and see wide, endless fields filled with smoke and blood. He'd find himself in broken cities with shredded streets and hollowed out homes. Titans would be swarming around, plucking people off the ground like picking berries from a bush. They'd pop them into their ghastly, gaping mouths - skulls cracking the way ripe fruit bursts open - blood running thick and sticky down their chins. Then Eren would blink again, and he'd be back in his little forest. The snow would be mud and the ant would be gone, crawled away to some unseen nest.  
  
Eren never tells anyone about his dreams. In the beginning, he couldn't even if he wanted to. His mouth only made simple noises, nowhere close to a word. Then later, he said nothing just to be stubborn. Sure, the dreams could be a sign of madness - a sign that he's becoming another human-eating monster. But he refuses to believe that. It's not a problem if he can fix it.  
  
He came up with easy exercises - both for his mind and body. He likes stretching his back while reciting his alphabet, or reviewing his times tables while doing the splits.  It was a way to pass the time and to better control his new form. He practices more complicated stuff like catching squirrels - trying not to crush them in his hands, and looking at the books Armin loaned him. Of course, the text is written for a tinier set of eyes, so Eren can't really read. But there's pictures sometimes and he likes to turn the pages, challenging himself not to tear the paper. All the things he used to find troublesome, he now uses to remind himself of his humanity. Titans don't read. Titans don't do math. Titans don't pet racoons sleeping on their laps.

Working with the Survey Corps, Eren needs those reminders more than ever. Here, he is once again surrounded by people. They force him to notice the differences between them. They really do seem so puny and delicate. He ends up feeling fat and clumsy and really titanic. It's a relief when they finally arrive at the castle and he's left alone while the scouts have a meeting. They told him to get comfortable so he decides to start his routine. He's doing a set of lunges and listing all the months in a year, when a loud and piercing shriek echoes in the hazy afternoon air.  
  
Hanji is very delighted by his exercises. They blast him with question after question. Eren answers slowly with the limited signs that Hanji understood. It gets them started on another signing lesson which, he notes, Erwin and Levi quietly join. They even end up making a new, unique sign to mean 'Survey Corp' and another to mean 'maniac'.  
  
"You're gonna get a lot of use for that one, kid." Levi smirks, lightly elbowing Erwin.  
  
The taller man rolls his eyes. Hanji cackles loudly. Eren studies the easy air between them. He has always admired the Survey Corps. But he's never met a scout before. He finds it hard to describe them. They're... something else - different - weird - silly. That's not exactly a bad thing. But Eren is surprised, like missing a step when heading down the stairs.  
  
Still, he likes them. They did come through for him. This morning had been hard. Eren was sure that they'd all get caught. But the Scouts had been calm and cool, rolling through a crowded city with a Titan in a cart, like it was an everyday chore. They made it easy for him to trust them. And now, just listening to them talk, they seem more real this way. It's nice.

Then the Commander calls for everyone's attention. He orders them to saddle up. They've been away from Headquarters for much too long. It's time they head back.  
  
"Behave, Four-Eyes."  
  
"Of course! You think so poorly of me. I do have manners."  
  
"Since when?!"  
  
"Oh get outta here!"  
  
Erwin and Levi walk away but Hanji stays put. Eren looks at them, letting out a soft, questioning grunt.  
  
They grin at him. "I'm staying here. We can't just leave you all by yourself. Especially some place totally new and foreign to you. That'd be irresponsible."  
  
Eren thinks that over. Some space would be nice, yes. But he's not ready for more hours of solitude. He went from growing up in a crowded district to complete isolation in an empty forest. He misses being surrounded by company yet shies away from them at the same time. It's throwing him off.  
  
"Amazing! Look at those eyebrows! I can totally tell that you got upset! Aww, don’t be upset!”  
  
Eren shakes his head, offering his “okay” sign. If he had to spend the night with somebody, Hanji wouldn't be his first pick. But at least, he's not gonna be totally alone. And this way, he won't feel too mobbed.

“That’s right. Everything is okay. You’ll see. We’re gonna be best buds by morning!”

Yeah. This should be fine.  
  
"So tell me, Eren. Do you poop?"  
  
... Maybe…

* * *

 

It turns out pretty okay. Hanji is very, very curious. But they're careful about it. They don't get too close, sitting out of his reach. They don't always focus on the Titan stuff - asking about Eren's favorite foods or games. They even went into a long rant about clotted cream. It was completely confusing but funny. Eren hadn't been this close to laughing since... Huh. He can't even remember when he last laughed. That's probably not good.  
  
Time passes with Eren barely noticing. Hanji had challenged him with riddles - they knew a lot of riddles. He somehow solved five but the rest were too difficult. Once he gives up, Hanji gifts him the answers anyways. From riddles, they stray into talking of odd things. Eren learns about poisons and clock repair and horse breeding.  
  
When Hanji starts shivering, Eren looks around and finds the sun had set. Together, they build a fire. But even if it's not winter anymore, an early spring night can get chilly. And Hanji's out here with no blankets, no tents, nothing but the clothes on their back.  
  
They wave off his worries. They've had worse nights on expeditions. Eren hums, tilting his head. They laugh then.  
  
"Wow! Your face is so expressive! You don't look like a Titan at all. There's no way I could mistake you for one."

Oh.

They said it like a plain-faced fact. Grass is green. Water is wet. Eren is human. He cups those words between the soft folds of his lungs. So with every breath, he can remember someone told him this once.

Hanji crosses their arms, hands tucked in. They sigh deeply, breath misting in the cold air.

"You wanna know, huh? About the expeditions? The world outside the walls? Hah! Your eyes just lit up. I didn't think eyes really did that. I thought it was made-up fluff in love stories. But there you go..."

Hanji pauses here. They look up, angling their head back. The fire light reflects in their glasses, shielding their eyes from sight.  
  
"... It's wide. You can see where the earth meets the sky. And you realize... That the world is very, very big. Much bigger than you. That the moon will always rise and the sun will always set. That the stars won't give a damn if you live or die."  
  
Silence follows, curling up between them the way cats settle on laps. They breathe out slowly, shaking their head.  
  
"Sorry. I didn't mean to... be so melancholy..."  
  
"It's okay," Eren signs.  
  
He moves away, picking up his writing tool. Slowly, he scratches words into the dirt. He can feel Hanji's gaze on him, heated and gentle.  
  
"I want to see it," he writes. "I want to feel small."  
  
Hanji barks out a laugh. "I bet you do, kiddo. I bet you do."  
  
They say nothing more. Their gaze settles on the flickering bonfire. Eren watches them. They're sitting out of his reach but it's more than space. They seem lost in a way, caught in a memory or a daydream. They don't move much. But then, their eyes start to flutter shut. Their head slips forward. It has been a long day.

Eren blinks.

A sea of sand sprawls out before him. Above, a stream of stars spread wide and endless. There's no Titans around. There's no people around. There's no hint of life anywhere. It's just him and the thin line where earth meets sky. He glances down and sees himself before the transformation - tiny and soft and naked.

Eren blinks again.  
  
Hanji lies on the ground, huddled around a dying fire. They're shivering hard, knees pressed against their chest, jacket pulled tight around themself. Careful not to wake them, Eren adds more wood to the fire and crawls closer. He's almost but not quite near enough to touch, curving his body around theirs. It seems to help after a while. Hanji shivers less, unfolding just a bit.

The night goes on.

* * *

 

He tried. He tried so hard. He spent three months - that's twelve weeks - that's ninety days - that's too many stupid hours - trying and trying then trying some more. But he can't - not here, not now, not for another second longer - they won't let him. He can't hide. He can't run. He can only sit in the dirt as they close in. His eyes fixed on the long, sleek...

...broomstick.

It seemed like such a simple, easy task. The scouts were going to clean him up. They even got someone new to help. Each of them had rags and mops and brooms, ready to brush and wipe and scrub out all the dirt. Eren hadn't been a huge fan of baths. He was the typical eight-year-old boy with much more important things to do than wash. But nowadays, he couldn't do his usual stuff - like chasing bullies away from Armin, or playing cops and robbers, or sneaking sweets from the market, or chasing bullies away from Armin again. And he's been outside for ages so there's a lot of gunk on him. Really, he looked forward to getting all nice and clean. He was even a little excited.

Until the scouts got close. Until they got started. Until Erwin rubbed a rag on his skin. Until Levi swung up to his shoulder. The broom raised, ready to sweep across his chest. Eren flinched. He flinched hard.

The other kids had this game - Two for Flinching. They had to scare each other and get them to flinch. If someone flinched, or jumped, or winced even a little bit, they got punched twice. Eren had been good at that game. He was the best actually. No one could ever get to him.

Until now. Flinching from a broom.

Levi had leapt off his shoulder, spitting out a curse. He landed on the ground, with knees bent, fingers on the trigger. He's ready to duck - spin - run at the slightest hint of trouble. His eyes are narrow and sharp, trained on Eren.

Nobody moves. Nobody breathes. The air felt coiled - like the spring of a Jack-in-Box.

Terror drums a rapid rhythm in Eren's pulse. His gut tightens as if caught by a bear trap - with metal teeth digging into the tender fat. He should be quite used to this feeling. He had felt it often as he stayed in the forest. But staring at Levi, it's sharper somehow, lighting an itch under his skin - and familiar, like a half-forgotten rhyme.

"What the shit, brat? What the fuck are you playing at? Huh?"

Ah.

It's rage. Fury mixed with fear, boiling hot and heavy in the back of his throat. This is panic. Eren felt this before, when he'd broken Mom's favorite cup. He told her that a rat did it. She didn't believe him and quickly figured out his lie. This is exactly like that time. Again, he's caught in another lie.

Eren had lied to himself. All that time, he had kept lying. Today is going to be a great day - he told himself in the morning. Everything is going to be alright - he promised himself at night. There is nothing wrong with me - he repeats and he chants and he swears until any doubt or dread gets stamped out.

The truth stares at him now, looking out from the flint-grey glare of Levi. The scout barely reaches his mid-thigh - he's so small - so tiny compared to Eren. Because - right now, right here, right this second and all the other seconds forever - Eren is a Titan.

"Oi! Answer me!"

Levi pokes his palm with the broomstick, and Eren remembers his hands could easily snap human bone - grind flesh into paste. Then it's all he can think about. His foot could smash down on Erwin, leave the guts stuck between his toes like fresh mud. Even the new guy, tall and broad Mike Zacharias, could easily be knocked out and over if Eren jerked a knee or twitched an elbow.

And there's a lot of them - a lot more than he's been used to. Usually, it was only Armin or Dad or Mom visiting him. They'd stop by, all alone, and sit with him or tap his leg or pat his arm. Sometimes, Mom and Dad came by together. Sometimes, it was Armin and Mom. He hardly saw Hannes except for when the soldier first found out and then during the whole, massive screw up that landed him with the Survey Corps. It had been easy, dealing with one or two people. And even his Mom never got so touchy - like she somehow knew how hard Eren was trying to stay calm.

He is a Titan, sure. He knew that. He never forgot it. But he had thrown a rug over the idea, made it a shapeless, half-hidden thought. Like when the table got scratched, Mom just threw a sheet over it so guests never saw. Eren had thought of the whole Titan thing like that - like it was embarrassing - not meant to be seen by other people. That way, it didn't seem like a big deal. It didn't seem like it does now - with the cover off, and everybody can see the monster in all his naked glory.

There is something wrong with him. Everything isn't alright and never will be again. Today and tomorrow and forever is awful and terrible and -

"Hey wait, Levi!" Hanji calls out. "Let's give Eren some space. We messed up. We should have checked in first. You know? Make sure Eren's cool with a bunch of strangers putting their hands all over him."

"Hah?! He's already filthy. He ain't got to worry about my hands-"

"You know that's not what I meant! Just look at him! Can't you tell? Haven't you ever felt that way before? Like the world's gotten too big and too much so all you wanna do is kick and scream until it shrinks again."

"... I have no idea what you're yapping about."

"Don't you? Hm. Some people have all the luck."

Eren peeks through his fingers. He had curled into himself - drawn his knees up, tucked his arms close, hands over his eyes. He notices only now, pulling away from his sinking thoughts and finding himself in such a sad state.

Hanji turns to him. The smile on their face is a soft, thoughtless thing. "Hey Eren, buddy. It's okay. Levi and Erwin and Mike are backing off. Just breathe okay. Deep breaths."

"Sina's tits. I got lectured on personal boundaries by fucking Four-Eyes."

"Shush!"

Eren is so stupid. He is the stupidest, silliest crybaby in the whole world. He's causing so much trouble for the scouts. He's making all these ugly noises - a cross between a sob and a hiccup - as if someone was choking him. Which is dumb. He doesn't even need to breathe - maybe. Probably. Whatever. He can't seem to stop.  

"His parents must have been truly desperate to have entrusted you three with a child," that Mike guy murmurs.

"Oh they were. They really were," Erwin replies.

"Enough with the damn - We ain't gonna clean ya no more! You don't want us getting close! I geddit, I geddit! Sheesh."

"Real assuring there."

"Shaddup. I don't see you talkin' none!"

"Pff! You know - your Underground twang gets thicker the more flustered you are."

"Ya know that jaw o' yers can break real easy?"

Eren clamps a hand over his mouth, eyes squeezed shut. He shakes his head. He wants to be clean. He does! Honest! It's just all these knots in his chest - the twisted ache in his belly. And the pain isn't even real - at least, it shouldn't be. His messed up body got no reason to be feeling this way. He's only making it all up in his stupid, silly brain.

"Hold up. Kiddo… You want us to clean you?" He hears Hanji ask.

Eren nods fast.

"Well, okay. But that can wait. We gotta - we gotta… Oh! That's it! Let's do some counting!"

"Counting?" Erwin echoes.

"Yeah! Backwards counting! It's what my brother did for me whenever I was in a bad place." Hanji glances at Erwin and taps their brow. "Up here." Then they look back at him. "Alright? Eren, count along with me. 100, 99…"

He focuses on their voice, really tuning in to every sound from their lips. He didn't let himself pay attention to anything else. By the time they got to the 70s, his heart stopped racing. At the 50s, his breath got quieter. At the 20s, he opens his eyes and finds Hanji watching him. They got a funny, tiny grin with no hint of fear or anger. Eren counts along with them, reaching zero together.

"How you feeling?"

Eren raises his 'okay' sign.

"Good. You still wanna get clean?"

Eren nods again.

"So what we can do - if ever you're not feeling good - just sign 'bad'. And we will stop whatever we're doing, like that!" Hanji snaps their fingers. "Don't be a tough guy. Use it as often as you need."

Hanji turns to Levi, Erwin, and Mike. They hastily straighten up - Mike nearly snaps out a salute.

"You! Ask if everything's okay. Ask again and again. Got it?"

"Understood," Erwin replies, lifting his eyes and catching Eren's gaze. "We will be more careful."

Mike nods along.

Levi snorts and crosses his arms. The other scouts stare at him. There's a stretched-out, impatient silence. Levi starts tapping his foot.

"So are we doing this or what?" He barks out.

Erwin sighs. Mike shakes his head.

Hanji rolls their eyes. "I don't know! Let's ask Eren!" Switching to signs, they manage to ask, "how are you?"

Eren quickly replies with "okay".

They beam at him and flash a thumbs up.

The scouts pick up their rags and mops. Even with his say so, they approach with care, attempting to look at ease the whole time. Levi triggers his maneuver gear but before swinging up, he looks right at Eren. His eyes are thin chips of steel, like shards of a broken blade.

Eren forces himself to stay still as Levi lands on his shoulder, broom still on hand. Yet he doesn't start sweeping. He simply stands there with his piercing gaze fixed on him. 

A breeze rustles the branches of nearby trees. It's the only sound to fill the sudden silence.

"Hey, Eren."

He slowly blinks at Levi.

"Do you hate me?"

It was spoken soft and low, almost menacing really. But peering closer, Eren notes the stiffness in Levi's arms, his pressed-straight mouth.

Very calmly yet firmly, Eren shakes his head.

Levi does nothing, and says even less. Then he huffs out a breath, and bit by bit, relaxes his body. "Glad to hear."

"Aw look at that! They're bonding!" Hanji laughs from somewhere near his knee.

Levi heaves out a long, tired sigh.

Something small and hidden unfolds inside of Eren. He lets his eyes drift shut, enjoying the sunshine - for once not hidden by branches.


	6. Chapter 6

Carla hopes for the best, plans for the worst, and expects nothing. But even without any expectations, she isn't prepared for the sight that greets her. Arriving at the defunct, Survey Corps headquarters, she finds a set of scouts busy scrubbing down her Titan son. There’s a new addition since they last spoke. A couple of days ago, it had been only three. Now she counts four, all crawling over Eren. One wields a broom and work hard brushing out his hair. One wields a mop, dead set on washing the dried mud from his skin. The rest have a rag to sponge off whatever got stuck under his nails or behind his ears or between toes and fingers. Her boy endures the heavy attention with only mild whining. He groans and sighs whenever they ask him to move his limbs or turn his head. She notes that they don't flinch from him, not even when he twitches without warning.  
  
"Ah! Mrs. Jaeger!" A scout calls out to her.  
  
Carla recognizes them. Hanji something, she thinks. They were very excited to meet her son. Right now, they're climbing down from Eren's shoulder, looking very much like a happy squirrel.  
  
"You look lively," she says once Hanji gets close enough.  
  
"Oh we are! I already got to examine most of Eren's body." At her sharp glare, Hanji raises both hands defensively. "Nothing invasive! And nothing without his permission! Eren taught me a few of his signs already! We have open communication at all times!"  
  
Carla keeps her gaze narrowed but she slowly nods, allowing them to continue.  
  
They sigh in relief. "Yes, you see, I've mostly taken his temperature. And gotten a sample of his toe nails. Oh and a lock of his hair. Now usually all Titan parts disintegrate upon separation from the main body. But those did not! It's! Unbelievable! I can't wait to take a look if only -" they whip their head around "- someone would let me!"

"Oh choke on a dick," another scout replies from his spot on Eren's nose. He's the short one. Carla remembers seeing him but not learning his name. He had a bit of a mouth which he's certainly showing off today.  
  
"He's pretty much clean!"  
  
"And you're pretty much sane. Listen, the more you bitch, the longer I keep you here."  
  
"Oh fuck you, Levi. Hey, Erwin, talk some sense into him! He's getting in the way of science!!"  
  
A tall blond politely coughs into his fist. He's one of two tall and blond men but she only recognizes him. He's wiping down Eren's elbow, focusing intently on the task and avoiding any eye contact. "Hm. No comment."  
  
"Alright, brat?” Levi barks out, balancing on Eren's collarbone. He taps her son’s chin.

Eren stares at him. There’s a brief, thoughtful pause. Then he blinks once.

Levi nods. “Good. Open up now.”  
  
Hanji starts bouncing around like a popped open jack-in-the-box. "Oh! Oh! I'll clean if you let me take care of that!"  
  
Levi glances down, squinting his already thin eyes. "... Fine. Just don't slack off. You're in there to wash up. Not go sightseeing."  
  
Hanji nods and hurriedly grabs a broom. Levi gets himself down and back on the ground as they scramble up her son. Carla watches them climb into his open mouth - crawling right in, not a second wasted. Even knowing Eren isn't like other Titans, the sight goes against every bedtime warning, every schoolfed caution, every horror story lesson she ever knew. She almost shrieks, barely catching herself at the last second. She quickly checks on Eren, to see how he's faring. The look on her boy's face could fill a book. But he didn't seem in pain or afraid, simply uncomfortable.  
  
"Get right between the teeth," Levi yells up to them. "It stinks like a horse's ass. And I want it smelling like roses."  
  
"You don't even know what a rose smells like!" Hanji cheerfully answers. They're already sweeping Eren's tongue.  
  
Carla clears her throat. "If only your language could be just as clean."

Levi doesn't even spare her a glance. "If you got a problem, take him over to the other squad willing to sneak around for you."  
  
She raises a brow, tucking her mouth to one side. "Fair enough."  
  
Then she breezes past him and heads for the castle.  
  
"Oi, where you going?"  
  
She puts on her most naive, church-mouse look. "To see my room, of course."  
  
"Your room..."  
  
What is it with men, always repeating her words. As if she doesn't know what she's saying. She knows perfectly well, thank you kindly. It's them with the comprehending problems.  
  
She smiles sweetly at him, the way she'd smile at a small, particularly slow child. "Yes. I was worried that you hid him somewhere far from any lodging. Then we'd have to go about building a new home from scratch. But look!" She gestures at the castle. "I can just sleep in one of the rooms. I'm sure you have plenty to spare."  
  
"What the flying fuck are you talking about?"  
  
"I'm moving here," she says plainly. Her smile sharpens along the edges. "Thank you for your help in carting my son away. But I'm not about to leave him alone in your tender loving care."  
  
"With all due respect, ma'am..."

Carla turns around to find Erwin standing a respectful step from her. His hands are clasped behind him, shoulders straight and chin lifted. He looks every inch the ideal soldier. She never liked soldiers.  
  
"The castle is Survey Corps property," Erwin continues.  
  
"And that boy is my family," Carla snaps back. "What's your point?"  
  
She stares right into those flinty-blue eyes. She doesn't blink. Silence stretches out between them.  
  
"... You'd be squatting," Erwin finally answers.  
  
"Because we're such law-abiding citizens."  
  
She hears Levi snort loudly.  
  
Erwin matches her grin. "Actually. I know of the perfect room for you."  
  
"Is it the dungeon?" Levi calls out. "This place has a dungeon, you know."  
  
Carla readies a scathing response when tall and blond #2 leans in real close. Her hand whips out, the palm catching the meat of his cheek. It's reflex - after years of working as a barmaid and having to deal with drunk men.  She didn't even see him approach! He can't just sneak up on a lady like that!  
  
"Have you no manners?!"  
  
Tall and blond #2 reels back, clutching his new injury. He blinks at her, eyes wide and shoulders hunched. He looks very much like a pup being scolded for ruining the floor.

"That's Mike," Erwin speaks up, standing between her and his fellow scout. "He tends to sniff people. It's how he... Well, it's how he judges their character. He didn't mean to frighten you. I apologize on his behalf."  
  
"He can apologize himself," Carla mutters. She pins this "Mike" with a chilly stare. "But I am afraid... I'm afraid that my instincts got the better of me. I've met too many men who like being... friendly. So I hope you understand."  
  
Mike slowly bobs his head. "Yes'm."  
  
Not quite a sorry, but then Carla isn't really expecting one. She didn't say much of a sorry either.  
  
"And... will Dr. Jaeger be joining you?" Erwin asks.  
  
Carla focuses back on him. "Yes. He had a few patients to see. So I went ahead and met with Keith. But we're all intending to move out of Shiganshina."  
  
"All?"  
  
"We can't leave Mikasa alone. She just lost her parents."  
  
"... I see."  
  
"Mhm. Did I mess up your plans?"  
  
Erwin allows his grin to turn wry. "Well. I expected that you'd want to keep a close eye on your boy. I just didn't realize that you'd want to move here. Trost has a lot of perfectly serviceable homes."  
  
"Trost is also about an hour's ride from here."  
  
"Is that not the same distance between your house in Shiganshina and the forest where you kept Eren?"  
  
"That forest didn't come with very convenient castles to live in. So if it's anybody's fault, then it's yours."  
  
Erwin chuckles. "And I suppose it'd be perfectly alright for you and your husband to vanish from the public. You can't exactly tell anyone about moving here, to an abandoned headquarters."

"It's free real estate. Being abandoned and all."  
  
"Be serious."  
  
"Grisha can keep an office in town. If anyone has need of him, they can set up an appointment there. Not everyone needs to know where we live. We're not that public of a figure."  
  
Erwin sighs. She watches him catch sight of something - maybe someone, his gaze going right over her head. After a moment's thought, he gives a small nod. "Very well."  
  
Carla's smile turn sincere, and a bit playful. "I wasn't giving you much of a choice. But I'd prefer to be in agreement."  
  
"Have you considered a career in politics?"  
  
"Oh, sweetheart. I've strung up enough men to last a lifetime. I'm ready to retire - spend my days in peace and quiet."  
  
"Fair enough."  
  
Worn down and baffled, Erwin loses that "perfect soldier" facade. He looks like any other young, bright thing - when aging seems more like an impending tragedy. She can't be more than five years older than him, and yet he makes her feel ancient. Mothering habits kick in and she places a gentle hand on his arm.  
  
"Hey, seriously. It'll be fine. Who's going to come looking for us?"

* * *

Kenny is looking for them - the Jaegers. Normally, he wouldn't be in charge of hunting down small fry. But there's been a lot of odd rumours floating out of Shiganshina, odd enough to catch his flighty interest. And well, he's bored. There's only so many insurgents or dissidents that he can put down before the job loses its spark.  
  
It all started at some dive in Hermina. He just got back from an assignment, tired and thirsty as fuck. He's in the middle of his third pint when some bozos get a little loud. They're laughing and stinking drunk.  
  
"I swear! I ain't ever heard anything like it. Chilled me to the bone! I'm tellin' ya'll! There's something in those woods."  
  
"Sure, Jan, sure."  
  
They got a little drunker. They got a little louder. And Kenny got nothing better to do. So he learned the whole sob story. There's a beastie living in the woods. It killed about three people. The Garrison never found it. Those useless fucks? They'd have trouble finding their dicks in the dark.  
  
But he could do it.  He could slay the beastie. Hell. Why not. He had time between shaking down journalists and taking out some mouthy actor. So off he went, moseying down south, searching for a fairy tale. Of course, he was no gallant knight but the beastie's probably a rabid dog. Reality just be like that.  
  
He figured this little milk run wouldn't take too long. He'd be back by midnight. It'd be a nice day out - the way some folks like to go hiking or fishing. But when he got to the forest, there was a fat load of nothing. Aw shit. This was gonna be harder than he first thought. So much for relaxing.

He was about to turn around, forget this happened and tell no one about it. Then, he passed by this little mound. It looked handmade, and that made no sense. Who'd go around making mudhills? He got closer. The mudhill got weirder. It was hollow, shaped to house something - a big something. It was empty, or he thought so, until his eye caught a skein of red yarn, half-buried in the dirt. Not much to go on, but his instincts hollered at him. Something had been here. Something had _lived_ here. He kept poking around. That's when he found it. And it was one hell of a find. A handprint - almost half his size.  
  
He remembered seeing a hand that big only once before. Those purple eyes had seen right through him, and still found something worth sparing. Uri was such a fucking weirdo. Kenny missed the bastard, especially now with the handprint bringing up all sorts of memories. His good-for-nothing peepholes nearly passed over the damn thing. It had been embedded inside the mudhill, hidden in the shadows.  
  
At first glance, Kenny hadn't been sure his eyes weren't playing tricks. It should be impossible, after all, to see anything like that inside the walls. But there it was - a genuine Titan's handprint. His little day trip got a lot more interesting.

He headed to Shiganshina. From the window of his rented room, the town didn't seem like much. It was filthy, noisy, and full - much too full - people living elbow to ass with their neighbors. Shit, he couldn't stroll down the streets without getting run over. Some blind broad drove by, with a wagon so stuffed - it nearly tipped over with every turn. Killed in a road accident, that ain't no way to go.

"Hey! I'm walkin' here!" He had shouted after her.

She didn't even look back. Tch, whatta dumb bird. She got no business rushin' off like that. There ain't nowhere to run. It's all just one, big-ass pig pen. Kenny kissed his teeth, shook his head, and moved on.

The Garrison got to be useful. For once. They told him about a nasty, little affair. Around a week ago, they had heard a loud, echoing roar. It had been at night. They had sent a soldier to check it out. No, actually, the guy had volunteered to go. Wasn't that just nice of him? He must be some soldier.  
  
Hannes sure didn't seem like it. Kenny found him off-duty. He was playing cards at the tavern. More like, he was losing money at the tavern. But he seemed like a good guy, real friendly and easy-going. Kenny bought him a drink. They got to talking, complaining about their jobs. It can be so boring, you know, same shit day in and day out. But he heard that there'd been some excitement going on around here.  
  
Hannes flinched the way only men with secrets do. He started to laugh real long and real hard. Kenny laughed with him.  
  
"Oh that old story?" He spluttered out. "You don't wanna hear about that. Turned out to be nothing."  
  
"Aw really? All that fuss? And you're saying it was nothin'?" Kenny leaned in. "Oh shit. Is it like - Is it like top secret stuff? Only fierce soldiers like yerself can know?"  
  
Hannes laughed again. It wasn't anything like that. Kenny watched him sober up some.  
  
"I did find some bodies," he confessed.  
  
Two men, ripped apart, entrails and limbs scattered all over the forest floor. Some real, nasty shit. And there was a third body. But this guy was straight up killed. A little girl did him in. Turned out, the men were slavers, aiming to take her mother. But they hadn’t been good at their jobs and ended up killing both her parents. They then settled for kidnapping the girl. It was a truly tragic end for that Ackerman family. Kenny didn't have to fake his surprise then.

Huh. Those poor branch bastards. Kenny never did bother to learn whatever happened to them. Uri said somma 'bout easing up on the Ackermans. But Kenny never cared about any of that shit. Guess it didn't really matter in the end.

The girl, Mikasa Ackerman, was discovered by a local doctor, Grisha Jaeger. He reported the incident to Hannes. According to the girl, they had gone into the forest and the beast attacked. It killed the two men while the third fled, carrying her away. Alone together, the girl fought back and killed him. How about that. Seems like she has that old Ackerman fire in her.  
  
Kenny fought down a smirk and shook his head. “That’s a right mess.”  
  
"Aye..."

They sat awhile, nursing their drinks. The tale had come to its gruesome end. Out the corner of his eye, Kenny watched the soldier.

Hannes was a dirty, dirty liar. That sure wasn't "nothing" - Kenny told him so with a loud laugh. He bought Hannes one last drink, making sure the man was nice and sloshed. Then he hightailed it outta there.  
  
He decided to stay a bit longer in Shiganshina. This side gig was a gift that kept on giving. And he wasn't ready to let it go. He can off people whenever he fucking wants. But this might be his only chance to catch a beastie! The game was afoot!

That brought him to this. He followed on his next best lead. It was time for a little family reunion. If only he could track down the midget, then it would be real party. But he ain’t got time for that. So it’d just be him and Miss Mikasa Ackerman.

After asking around, looking for the Jaeger home, Kenny learned some brand new, juicy details. Funnily enough, the Jaegers had moved. He _just_ missed them. According to old man Arlert - a family friend, they left yesterday. (Yesterday! Of all the stinkin' luck.) They fucked off to Quinta or maybe Trost - they didn't say. They simply wanted to give Mikasa some distance from her traumatic experience. Except that’s not all! The Jaegers had trauma of their own. The couple had a little boy, a little Eren Jaeger. He was the first known victim of the beastie. Isn’t that just a fun coincidence!

There was talk of Mrs. Jaeger going mad from it all. She burst into tears every time people mentioned hunting the beastie. And she was known to take long, late night rides into Wall Maria. Her husband was of no help. He was always out, seeing to his patients when he should be seeing to his wife. He did get her a gift once - a huge roll of red dyed wool. What she’d need all that wool for, no one could say. But if Kenny had to guess - it’d be for making a shit ton of red yarn, at least a skein’s worth definitely.

He dug a little deeper, flirting with some housewives and smoking with their husbands. And the Jaegers got more interesting. So, a neighbor’s in-law’s nephew worked as a stable-hand in the shared stable. And he’d been noticing how Dr. Jaeger keeps rushing off with a horse every now and again, riding the poor animals into bone-breaking exhaustion. Now, the first time this happened, the stable-hand couldn’t be too sure on the details. But he did remember getting kicked by Dr. Jaeger as he took off with a horse. And he had been carrying something - some _one_ with him, child-sized and breathing funny. Then two mornings later, the family announced the death of their son, little Eren Jaeger. Seemed mighty strange, alright.

Mighty strange indeed, he thinks, saddling up his horse. It’s been a long and fruitful week. His jaw aches from all the talking and smiling. He just ain’t cut out for this sort of intelligence work. But he’s satisfied. Oh boy is he satisfied. He heads out of Shiganshina, and rides for Wall Rose. He’ll send off a note to Mitras, just to say he’s still alive. But he’ll be minding his own business for awhile, so they better mind theirs. He can feel himself closing in on his prey and god help any who get in his way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Day 0  
> Eren and company arrive at the old Survey Corps HQ
> 
> Day 1  
> Levi starts operation clean up
> 
> Day 2  
> Levi finishes operation clean up  
> Carla checks on Eren and company, returns to Shiganshina, starts packing
> 
> Day 3  
> Carla continues packing
> 
> Day 4  
> Kenny overhears the rumor of the Rogue Monster, decides to investigate  
> Carla continues packing
> 
> Day 5  
> Kenny learns the Rogue Monster is a Titan, stays at Shiganshina  
> Carla finishes up packing
> 
> Day 6  
> Carla leaves Shiganshina, brings along Armin and Mikasa  
> Kenny learns Hannes is a key witness  
> ??  
> Kenny talks to Hannes
> 
> Day 7  
> ??  
> Kenny starts investigating the Jaegers
> 
> Day 9  
> ??  
> Kenny finishes his investigation in Shiganshina, returns to Mitras


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We are so close to the end of Part 1!! So close!! To the me nerding out on you guys!! I'm so excited to explain what got me inspired to write this fic and unload a fuckton of tinhat theories

They were all relaxing in the courtyard, mostly finished with cleaning, when their resident Titan sharply lifts his head, eyes focusing on the treeline. 

"What's the matter?" Erwin asks.

"People approaching. A horse. A wagon," Eren tells them.

Man! Those signs are so handy!

Erwin frowns, walking to his horse. "I'll head them off."

Oh. Right. Peril! Impending danger! Hanji cups a hand around their ear. But hard as they try, they hear nothing. That Titan hearing is really good. They reach into their pocket and pull out their brand-new notebook. They didn't use to have one on hand. Mostly because if they made observations, it would be on the field and there was no time to be standing around, writing. But now! Ohohoho  _ now _ , Eren changes everything! So they bought a notebook - someplace to store all their new notes! If only they could find their pen...

"What the hell are you doing?" Levi asks. "You look like ants crawled into your jacket."

They squirm a bit more, patting all their pockets. "I can't find my pen!"

Mike reaches over and plucks it from their ear. They stare at it. 

"Ah! Thank you!"

Mike smirks.

"Hopeless," Levi grumbles, watching Erwin ride off.

They reply with a happy hum, already scribbling away. Eren's hearing definitely needs to be tested. What's the range? How sensitive is it? Can they effectively communicate from a distance? And where - Ah! Notebook! Come back! What's happening?

"Look alive, Four-Eyes!" Levi hisses, snatching away their precious notes. "We got visitors!"

Hanji looks around. Everyone's already on their feet, even Eren. The boy heads for the castle, hiding behind it. They scramble to stand. Visitors? Can't be. No one comes here. This place is a forgotten relic - when the Survey Corps was newly-formed with overflowing ranks. Ha. Just kidding. The Survey Corps never even had full ranks - much less an overflow.

Mike sniffs the air and blinks. "It's just Erwin. He's with Mrs. Jaeger. There's two more with them."

Levi gifts Mike with a baffled look. "How are you doing that?"

Mike shrugs.

"It's probably Dr. Jaeger and one of the kids," Hanji tells them. "The girl, I think. Didn't the Jaegers take her in?"

"Probably isn't good enough." Levi rolls his neck, cracking his knuckles. 

Hanji frowns. Now they can hear the hoofbeats and wagon wheels. It takes a half-minute before Erwin appears, leading the way for Mrs. Jaeger. They were half-right. She did bring the girl with her. But no Dr. Jaeger can be seen, only the small, blond boy - Eren's friend.

Turning to the castle, Hanji whistles loud and high. "It's alright, kiddo! Mom came to visit ya! And she brought some company!"

There's a shuffling noise. Then Eren peeks out. Once he sees their visitors, his eyes curve in that special way - smiling with his gaze - or smizing, as Hanji calls it. 

"Ah! Mikasa?" They hear Mrs. Jaeger call out.

A black blur whizzes past them, heading straight for Eren. It's the girl. Mikasa. She stops just a few steps from him. He blinks at her, eyes wide and round. She starts to sign, slowly with great care.

"Thank you for helping me," Mikasa tells Eren.

Wow! Hanji understood her! They really understood her! After half a week, they've only learned bits and pieces of the language. But it's honestly quite simple and intuitive - probably because two kids invented it. They watch the pair more closely, eager to practice translating.

At first, Eren does nothing, appearing paralyzed. Stunned, they suppose. It takes a second but he manages to reply. 

"I can't talk. You can talk. I will listen."

"I learned to sign. I wanted to show you."

Eren pauses there. His head tilts a bit. His eyes curve again, smizing more. Then he gently signs, "Thank you."

Mikasa, the dear heart, blushes to the tips of her ears. She tries to cover up with a scarf but it was no use. 

Eren makes sharp, brief hisses - oh that must be a laugh! Outstanding! And now he's showing Mikasa some new signs - nothing they had ever seen.

"Hey goldilocks!" 

Hanji turns to find Levi looking at the blond kid. 

"What's he saying?" Levi asks, louder.

The kid pays him no mind as he steps off the wagon. A true gentleman, he offers a hand to Carla. She doesn't need help to climb down, especially from such a tiny boy. But she indulges him with a weather-worn grin and takes his hand.

"Hey! You! Blondie!" Levi tries again. "I'm talkin' to ya!"

The kid jumps then. He glances to the left and right before looking at Levi and pointing to himself.

"Yeah, you!"

"His name is Armin," Carla huffs.

"Just tell us what he's saying."

The kid - Armin watches Eren sign. His eyes widen. "Oh! Oh, I am not translating that."

Hanji raises a brow, sharing a look with Mike. He shrugs. A hush falls, each of them puzzling out this strange reply.

Then Erwin clears his throat. "... So. Are you saying - What are you saying? Is it concerning a private matter? Or..." His eyes narrow. "Is it inappropriate? Possibly even rude?"

Armin goes suspiciously tight-lipped.

"So he's cussing. Like fuck, shit, damn, asshole, coc-"

"Thank you, Levi. That will be enough."

Armin shuffles his feet, staring at the ground, and shrugs.

"Ain't you a funny little brat."

Carla laughs. "We let a pair of eight-years-olds make up a language. And you're surprised that they invent a new way to swear? Please. It was the first thing they thought of."

Erwin winces. "When you put it that way..."

"Hey, hey. What's the sign for 'dumbass'?" Levi cuts in. 

Erwin scowls at him. "Why do you need to know?"

"What? I can't improve myself through better learning, Shitwin?"

Armin glances over at Carla. She rolls her eyes and waves a dismissive hand. Biting his lip, he shyly, yet somehow proudly, shows off the sign for 'dumbass'. Levi watches him with the same intensity he usually reserved for tracking Titans. And for all his bluster, Erwin pays attention with equal fervor.

Hanji cackles, turning away from the boys. They walk over to Carla, unloading the wagon.

"Here, let me help you with that."

"Not interested in learning new ways to insult someone?" She hands them a basket full of sheets.

"Eeeeh... I'll be seeing that sign a lot from now on. There's plenty of time for me to learn later." Hanji gestures at the castle. "Shall I escort you in, fair lady?"

Carla giggles and fakes a curtsy. "Why, I'd be delighted."

Carla settles for a room on the ground floor, facing the courtyard. Naturally, she prefers staying close to Eren. Hanji's just happy that they don't have to deal with stairs. It'd be a total pain if they had to haul everything up another floor - especially since she brought so much with her. She really stuffed that wagon full of her things - clothes, bedding, soaps, cutlery, pots and pans, a sewing kit, yarn, combs, rouge...

"Just the basics," she says. 

But among her sizable luggage, Hanji spots a curious chest. It's hefty, with a wrought-iron frame, and a big, solid lock on the lid. It practically screams "treasure inside". Carla tucks it behind towers of linens stashed in the closet of her chosen bedroom. Hanji suspects the chest belongs to Dr. Jaeger. There's not much else of his brought over - apart from some coats and shoes.

Once the boys finish fooling around, they all help out. Some are more helpful than others. Levi keeps stopping to sweep or dust. Carla doesn't mind this so much. She even lends him a hand. And that is the real problem.

"How dare you! I've been mopping floors before you learned to use a toilet."

"So you're outdated and old! Congratulations!"

Hanji pauses, half done with putting away the silverware. Carla and Levi are four sturdy, stone walls from their place in the kitchen. Yet somehow, they can still hear the pair arguing. 

And if Hanji can hear it, then so can Erwin. He's standing just a step to their left, carrying a stack of plates. They gift him with a look, elbowing him lightly in the ribs.

"Still think the plan is gonna work out?"

Sometime after Carla decided to move here and before she arrived today, the scouts had a meeting. They all agreed to a neat, little system. Nothing fancy, nothing formal. Hanji just called dibs on Eren. Erwin insisted on personally handling Dr. Jaeger. So that stuck Levi with the missus.

"And what the fuck am I supposed to do?" Levi had asked.

"Make small talk," Erwin had told him. "Ask about her day. Listen to her complain."

"So seduce her."

"Now I didn't say that."

"Good. Because she's married."

"Eh," Hanji had cut in. "I mean... Her husband did turn their son into a Titan. The marriage won't recover from that."

"Shitwin should deal with her. I can handle the doc. Smart guys make for easy marks."

Erwin had frowned.

Hanji had cackled."Aw, c'mon Levi. You have a unique charm. And don't you know? Shortness is the soul of wit."

Levi had kicked them for that. But it was totally worth it.

"What plan?" 

Hanji blinks and looks down. They find Armin coming in from the courtyard, carrying a pile of shirts. He stares at them, brow pinched. Suspicious, little bugger.

"To take over the world, of course!" They reply, flinging out their arms.

Armin gives them a dirty look, before spinning on his heel with a small huff. 

"If it's a secret, just say so. You don't need to patronize me." They hear him grumble as he walks away.

That kid sure knows some sophisticated words. Patronize, huh? Yeah, Hanji supposes that may be true. 

"It's like looking at a mini-you," they murmur, glancing at Erwin. "Most people tend to just brush me off when I spout my nonsense. But he isn't biting." They sigh comically loud and cross their arms. "Now I gotta figure out new ways to be annoying. Aaa, how troublesome."

Erwin snorts. "Oh, I'm sure you'll rise to the challenge."

They smirk. "What? You know - I wasn't born with a natural talent for irritating people. I worked hard on it."

"Well. Here comes your favorite practice target," Mike says, setting down a crate of cups.

They all hear Levi before seeing him. There's a whole manner of bangs, clangs, and underground slangs drifting in from the hall. Then the door slams open. Levi marches in, heading straight for Erwin.

"That woman is a menace. What the fuck did Shadis ever see in her?"

"Some people like a little spitfire," Erwin shrugs lightly.

Levi's lips curl. "Disgusting. I don't need to know about your shit taste."

"I said  _ some people _ , obviously not me."

"I cannot care less." Levi points to Mike. "Make  _ him _ deal with her. Or else."

"I'm a Mary*," Mike deadpans. 

"Tch, so? What's that got to do with anything?"

Mike huffs, lips lifting up. "And she doesn't like me, especially after I sniffed the kids."

Erwin squeezes his eyes shut, pinching the bridge of his nose. "That sounded so incredibly wrong. Now even _I_ don't like you."

Mike raises a brow, gifting him with a suspiciously knowing look. "That was not what you said -"

Hanji jolts, clapping their hands. "Uh, boys! Before we get into that..." 

They slide over to the nearest window. Poking their head out, they see Eren squatting close to the castle, peering into a window. He must be watching Carla and his friends unpack. Pulling themself back in, they face their fellow scouts.

"You guys noticed, right? Big pitchers got big ears."

Levi looks baffled. "What's that suppose to mean?"

"It's a saying," Erwin answers. "Little kids have a tendency to repeat the things they hear. Verbatim - that's word for word. We should be careful about getting too  _ detailed _ . Mrs. Jaeger doesn't need more reasons to glare at us."

"I still can't believe Dr. Jaeger never told him about the facts of life. How irresponsible."

"Does Mrs. Jaeger know you spoke with Eren about sex?"

"No. Because I'm crazy not suicidal."

"There's a difference?" Levi sneers.

"And I didn't say anything! I told him to ask his Mom or Dad!"

"Where is Dr. Jaeger?" Mike chimes in. "He really should be with his family, especially during a transition like this. All their stuff getting handled by strangers, his wife and kid in a foreign place..."

"That is the most I've heard you say," Hanji tells him. "Ever."

"It does seem irresponsible," Erwin murmurs. "It's possible... It's possible that he fled.

Hanji says nothing. Nobody else speaks up. It makes an uncomfortable amount of sense. Dr. Jaegers knows that they know that he knows something. And if he wants to guard his secrets, then he'd stay far from them. 

But still! He came to the Scouts. He asked them for help. He told them about Eren. He already gambled everything on the chance that they were trustworthy. He can't backout now!

"Mrs. Jaeger might know where he is." Mike turns to smirk at Levi. "We should just ask her, no?"

"Fuck you, Zacharias," Levi barks back. "You just had to try that shit again. She slapped you the first time. Ain't you learn?"

Mike shrugs. "I learned to dodge."

Hanji watches Erwin. He's got those deep folds between his impressive eyebrows. He finishes putting away the plates, then the cookware, but it's clear that he's not really paying attention. He doesn't notice Mike leave the kitchen, or Hanji's eyes fixed on him. His thoughts most likely filled with backup plans and counter moves. A real intense guy, that Erwin.

Honestly, Hanji doesn't really see a need to worry - at least, not yet. Dr. Jaeger might have a legitimate reason for not being present. They don't know. So they'll choose a more optimistic outlook. That might be naive of them but personally, they think it's exhausting to constantly believe the worst in people. If they have the option to hope for the better, why won't they? The disappointment is worth the brief break in despair.

"Eren! I already said I'm sorry!" They hear Armin shout. Footsteps follow, thudding down the stairs and running through the hall. Then Armin stomps into the kitchen, arms crossed, with his chubby cheeks all puffed up. Oh man. Hanji hopes he grows out of that baby fat, or else no one will ever take his anger seriously.

"Trouble, kiddo?" Hanji asks, watching him head for the courtyard.

"Nothin'. Eren's just being dumb."

A low, whining moan echoes from outside.

"Yeah! I'm sure you heard me!" Armin yells back. "You were supposed to."

"What crawled up the brat's ass?" Levi raises a brow. "It's the one place we didn't clean."

"I don't think Eren has an asshole." Hanji hums thoughtfully.

Armin gifts them both with a disgusted look. "It's got nothing to do with his… his butt… He's just sulking 'cause I didn't signal him earlier."

"Signal?" Of course, that catches Erwin's interest.

"I mean, sure. Eren's got better ears now. But he still can't tell the difference between my footsteps and a stranger's footsteps. And it'd be annoying if he hides every time he hears us coming. So we came up with a signal. Whistle three times. Once he hears that - he'll know it's us and it's safe to stay out."

"Oooooooh! That's really clever!" Hanji thumps a fist against their open palm.

Armin shrugs. "It's got some problems. This one time, I gave the signal, thinking I was alone. But Hannes had followed me. And yeah, Eren heard his footsteps. Except he just figured, y'know, it was Mrs. Carla or Dr. Grisha with me. He couldn't tell that it was Hannes following me." 

Another low, whining moan.

Armin whips around and faces the courtyard. "Oh hush you!"

He dashes out the door, either to yell at Eren some more or to grab more things from the wagon or both at the same time. 

Hanji watches him go with a soft laugh. They share their grin with Levi and Erwin. Both simply huff, turning away from them. Oh such grumpy boys. Well. At least, if they have to wait, they'll be with some funny company. 

The next couple of days pass with little note. Carla and Mikasa finish moving in. Levi and Carla reach a ceasefire - sort of, mostly agreeing the castle is clean enough for either of their standards. Armin goes back home to Shiganshina and his grandpa. Erwin gets increasingly twitchy. But then, on the tenth day since Eren first fell into their care, the good doctor arrives on his white horse.

"I'm sorry for being absent," he tells them all during dinner.

Carla always insists on hosting a meal whenever the Scouts come over. All of them still have duties in the Corps, so even if Hanji wants nothing more than to study Eren all day every day, they simply can't. And it'd be super suspicious if the top Scouts keep vanishing for long periods of time. So mostly they all stop by for a few hours in the evening. Everyone just assumes they're off getting drunk together. 

Hanji would pick Carla's cooking over liquor, no contest. She doesn't have meat or fresh produce - both luxuries neither the Survey Corps or the Jaegers can afford regularly. But she does have herbs. It's the only thing anybody can grow in a cramped city, where space for a garden is a laughable idea. She packed the plants into pots and ported it all to the new place. (Say that five times fast.) Then she uses the rosemary and thyme and whatever else to turn even plain, potato soup into something delicious. 

"I really meant to help with the move," Dr. Jaeger continues.

"So what kept you?" Erwin asks, sharply. Then he winces, shaking his head. "That was rude. I didn't mean to be so abrupt."

Dr. Jaeger simply blinks at him. "No, it's quite alright. I seem to have caused some concern."

Erwin's grimace only deepens. His excitement has rendered him transparent. The once carefully leashed emotions currently run wild across every inch of his face. 

Dr. Jaeger clears his throat. "I was in Trost, looking for somewhere to setup a clinic. I'm still a doctor after all, and my patients must be able to reach me. In fact, over a week ago, someone did approach me. There was an outbreak of diphtheria in the Ragako village."

"You cured a plague in a week?" Erwin asks, brows flying up.

"I attended a similar case in Quinta just a fortnight ago. So fortunately, that left me with enough medicine already prepped for use."

"The people of Ragako must be incredibly grateful." Hanji smiles, idly stirring the broth in their bowl. "If only we could eliminate Titans, the way you cure a disease. It's a good thing you're on the job, sir. More people die from illness than from any other cause - murder, poverty, even our expeditions can't compare."

THWUMP!

Hanji looks up to find Dr. Jaeger had knocked over his chair, now standing up. He stares at them with eyes popped wide, jaw hanging open. He seems to have stopped breathing.

"Oi, oi, oi. You alright? Is he alright?"

"Dr. Jaeger? What's wrong?"

"Dear, are you hurt? Say something!"

His mouth moves but no sound comes out. He staggers back, hands clutching his head. Erwin and Carla leap off their seats, reaching for him across the table. He pulls away from them, gasping loud and dry.

"Oh hell!" He finally chokes out. "I can't... I can't..." He drags in a mouthful of air, and bursts out laughing. It's a pitchless, scattered noise. 

They all share a look. Carla frowns, brows pinching. Levi's got a hand out of sight - probably palming a knife. Mike has his fists on the table, ready to throw down. Erwin looks coiled, like the springs of a gun before shots fire. Hanji isn't much of a brawler. In a flat out fight, they don't have a lot to offer compared to the brawn of their fellow scouts. So they simply settle on watching everyone, awaiting the first move.

Dr. Jaeger lurches forward, glancing around the room. 

"I should - no!"

He steps to the left.

"I need - wait."

He steps to the right.

"That's not - shit!"

He spins on his heel, marching to the door.

"Dr. Jaeger!" Erwin calls out. "What are you doing?!"

He pauses, hand on the knob - about to turn it. Then he faces Erwin, eyes bright and wet. He throws open his arms.

"I don't know!" He replies with too much joy.

"He's gone crazy," Levi whispers to Mike.

Dr. Jaeger snaps his fingers. "Tools! I need tools!"

Pulling away from the door, he heads for the hall, rushing deeper into the castle. Hanji shares a look with Carla. Sharing a nod, they all chase after him. He hasn't gone too far, constantly peeking into rooms.

"Carlaaaa!" He yells, slamming a door shut.

"Whaaat?" She yells back, elbowing her way through Erwin and Mike.

"Where did you put my chest?"

Carla blinks. "What?"

Dr. Jaeger whips around to look at her. "Where. Did. You. Put my chest?"

"I put it away. Like you told me to."

Dr. Jaeger stomps closer to her. "Where?!"

Carla stomps right back, meeting him halfway. " _ Why _ do you need to know?"

"Just tell me where my chest is!"

"Not until you explain yourself!"

The couple now stand chest to chest. Dr. Jaeger is a head taller than Carla, but that doesn't stop her from staring him down. Hanji tugs at their shirt collar.

"Hey, uh... How about we step back. Take a breath. Cool our heads." They clear their throat. "Please, Doctor. We just have questions! We're not trying to get in your way!"

Dr. Jaeger blinks, looking away from his wife. He stares right at Hanji, a smile returning to his face. 

"In my way? Zoë, you inspired me! With your brilliant, stunning mind! A true genius!"

"Yeah, he definitely lost it. Did he ever have it?" Levi grumbles under his breath.

Hanji rubs the back of their neck. "Uh? Thank you?" They think over the last five minutes, trying to remember all the things they've said. Realization slaps them like running into a low-hanging branch while riding at full gallop. They cup a hand over their mouth. "No..."

Dr. Jaeger walks over to them. "Yes!"

"No!"

"Yes!"

"Are you serious!"

"YES!"

"Someone just say something! Sina's shit!" Levi barks out.

"Dr. Jaeger," Erwin cuts in. "Can you get rid of Titans the same way you cure a disease? Is there a cure to being a Titan?"

Dr. Jaeger wets his lips, smile straining in the corners. "There just might be."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Mary = Wall slang for a homosexual
> 
> Day 0  
> Eren and company arrive at the old Survey Corps HQ
> 
> Day 1  
> Levi starts operation clean up
> 
> Day 2  
> Levi finishes operation clean up  
> Carla checks on Eren and company, returns to Shiganshina, starts packing
> 
> Day 3  
> Carla continues packing
> 
> Day 4  
> Kenny overhears the rumor of the Rogue Monster, decides to investigate  
> Carla continues packing
> 
> Day 5  
> Kenny learns the Rogue Monster is a Titan, stays at Shiganshina  
> Carla finishes up packing
> 
> Day 6  
> Carla leaves Shiganshina, brings along Armin and Mikasa  
> Kenny learns Hannes is a key witness  
> Carla and company arrive at the old Survey Corp HQ, starts unpacking  
> Kenny talks to Hannes
> 
> Day 7  
> Carla continues unpacking  
> Kenny starts investigating the Jaegers
> 
> Day 9  
> Carla finishes unpacking  
> Kenny finishes his investigation in Shiganshina, returns to Mitras
> 
> Day 10  
> Armin goes back to Shiganshina  
> Dr. Jaeger arrives, finished curing a village of diptheria  
> Hanji inspires Grisha to ?????


	8. Chapter 8

"So! Let me go over some basic immunology!" 

Grisha beams at his pseudo-pupils. His mouth aches with the strain, but he doesn't care. He's been awake for 27 hours straight, but he doesn't care. His legs throb, shaking from the effort to keep him upright, but  _ he doesn't care _ . Something electric surges through his veins - like the first time he ever shifted. He feels alive - more than alive! He's powerful, in control - for the first time in this miserable existence, he's sure of what to do. 

Smith raises a hand. "Pardon? What is… Innu- Inyu - Immunology? Did I say it right?"

They've all gathered in the biggest room - possibly meant for conferences and planning out strategies. It came equipped with a black board and chalk. Grisha turns and starts to spell out "immunology", but stops before scribbling the first letter. He only knows how to write it in the Marleyan alphabet. Idly scratching his head, he puts down the chalk and faces the assembled scouts plus his wife. 

The men watch him with tense limbs and pursed mouths. Zoë has their notebook out, feverishly taking notes. Carla looks out a window, gazing at the forest or the courtyard - hard to tell, but certainly not paying any attention to him and his lecture. Hmph. Grisha straightens his jacket and clears his throat.

"Immunology. That's the study of your body's defense system. Haven't you ever wondered... How do you get sick? What happens during a fever? And why do you get better?"

"No," Levi replies curtly.

"Well! Here's why! Your body produces cells - ah, you don't know what a cell is. Do you know what a cell is?"

"It's small. It can be found in plants," Erwin answers, his narrowed eyes fixed on him.

"Correct! But not just plants!" 

Grisha claps his hands and turns back to the blackboard. This time, he starts to draw the basic shape of a human - two arms, two legs, a torso and head. He fills the shape with tiny circles. 

"So! Cells. It's the foundation - the material responsible for life. All living things - plants, animals, you, me - all of us are made from cells."

He colors in some of the circles.

"Your body makes special cells - soldier cells, actually called white blood cells but we don't have to get into that. Whenever we breathe - eat - bleed, things from outside the body go inside. And some of those things hurt us. To keep the body from dying, these soldier cells fight off any harmful invaders. This is called immunity - the body's ability to survive attacks from trespassers. If someone survives a particular disease, that means they're immune to that disease."

He draws some squiggly lines trying to enter the human shape. 

"To give an example, take diptheria. I don't cure it using herbs or powders. Diptheria is an infection - something bad has gotten inside. And for some people, their soldier cells can't fight off the invaders. There's many reasons for that but primarily, it could simply be the soldier cells aren't properly equipped to fight off the invaders." 

He draws another human shape filled with colored circles carrying swords.

"Other people get sick but then, they get better. That means their soldier cells are properly equipped. So, what I do…" 

He connects the human shapes with sword-packed arrows.

"From those who have claimed victory over the invaders, I pull some blood, and with work, I isolate the weapons used by the victorious soldier cells. Then I give those weapons to my patient with the struggling soldier cells and turn the tide of battle. Does that make sense?"

Smith raises his hand again.

"You don't have to do that."

Smith lowers his hand. "How do you know this?"

"I learned it."

"From where?"

Grisha holds his gaze. Those blue eyes remind him of a clear sky during winter. Shivering, he grits his teeth and clenches his fist. "That's not important. It works and that's all you need to know."

Smith's jaw tightens. Grisha squares his shoulders, ready for any sort of physical attack. But a second passes, then ten, finally Smith hisses out a breath.

"Alright."

Grisha blinks. "Alright?"

"Yes. Please continue, doctor."

"... Very well."

Grisha draws a human shape, much bigger compared to the previous ones. 

"Titans. I told you before that they used to be humans, like you and me. They were changed via an injection - in other words, their original body suffered from an invasion of foreign agents."

He draws a smaller human shape inside the Titan.

"Now, I've also said that this transformation makes little sense. The new flesh appears out of nowhere. And what happens to the person? Are they just trapped within the new flesh?"

He circles the Titan's nape.

"What do we know about Titans? They're extremely sturdy. They heal from any injury. Even if you destroy their head or heart - both vital organs to a normal human - they can still live. And yet, when you injure their nape, suddenly! They die. Why is that?"

"Leftovers," Zoë breathes out. "The person - whoever got transformed. Assuming they're inside, then that's why a slash on the nape works! We are essentially destroying what's left of that poor bastard."

Grisha points at them. "Brilliant! Precisely!"

"But wait," Smith cuts in. "I have killed a fair share of Titans in my career. And yet, I've never noticed a person in the nape."

"Titan corpses do disintegrate quickly."

"Quickly, yes. Immediately, no. Surely, I'd see something when I slice them open."

"Maybe it's not a whole person," Zoë suggests. "Just a piece of them - something we'd miss unless we specifically looked for it.

"What piece? A torso? An arm? It must be terribly small to escape detection."

"The brain," Grisha answers. "Or at least, the brain is part of the remains."

He adds a brain to the Titan sketch, then a brain to the human inside the Titan. He connects both brains with a thin line.

"There's two brains. One resides in the skull, as per the norm. But the second is in the nape, connected to the Titan's spine via the spinal cord. Easily hidden within the mass of muscle."

Zoë gasps, going completely still. Then they start scribbling again, faster this time, their pen tearing through the pages - quite literally.

Smith squints at him. " _ Where _ did you learn  _ that _ ?"

"From the same place that I learned Titans are humans! May I finish?"

Smith squeezes his eyes shut and pinches the bridge of his nose. "... Go ahead."

Grisha huffs. "A foreign agent starts the transformation. But a body has defense mechanisms to stop foreign agents of all kinds. Obviously, this means people couldn't fight the infection. Their soldier cells weren't properly equipped. But that's not the case with Eren."

"Uh Doc," Levi interrupts. "In case you haven't noticed, your brat is currently outside in the courtyard, because he's too big to fit inside."

"He may have gained mass! But he's still my son! And that's the whole point! When a person undergoes a Titan transformation, they lose all sense of self! They become mindless monsters! But Eren can still think! He can still feel! His mind survived the transformation! And that means -"

"His soldier cells developed the right weapon to counteract the Titan infection," Zoë finishes.

"EXACTLY! And if he's immune, even on some level, I can transfer that immunity to other Titans! We can restore their minds!"

Zoë claps their hands with great vigour. But the other scouts remain reserved. His wife still stares  out the window, appearing completely inattentive.

"Are you certain of this?" Smith asks.

That is a good question, an excellent question. 

"No, I am not. I don't know what state the original brain - the human brain is in. Or even if there's any white blood cells still present. I've never had the opportunity to dissect a Titan."

"Haven't you?" Smith presses.

"I have not!" He snaps out. "Even with Eren, I didn't dare. I couldn't risk hurting him. In addition, his physiology - his whole body is entirely different from any other Titan. His flesh wasn't donated. His flesh grew! He doesn't have 'leftovers', because nothing got replaced!"

Grisha runs a hand through his hair, fingers digging into the scalp.

"I've sampled Eren's blood. It behaves just like non-Titanized blood. But I don't know if it's the same for all Titans or if it's unique to Eren. I can't tell how different he is from other Titans because I've never examined a Titan - a real, pure Titan."

Silence rattles the room, punctuated only by Grisha's heavy breathing. Time unravels. Seconds seem like minutes. The silence gains weight, pressing down on all of them. Just before it becomes unbearable, Smith snorts.

Blond, blue-eyed, and broad shouldered - Grisha is a fossil compared to him. But now, especially with that bright, toothy grin like a schoolboy seeking adventure, Grisha feels very old indeed.

"So let's get you one," Smith announces, simply and clearly as if announcing a trip to the market. They need some apples, honey, and oh yes, a live Titan. Surely no problem.

Zoë slams their notebook shut, marches over to Smith, and takes his hands. His brows fly up, glancing at them then at their intertwined fingers then back at them.

"Marry me," Zoë says, solemnly.

Smith blinks, and delicately pulls away from their hold. "I don't swing that way."

"Is it because I'm not man enough? Because I do have the equipment."

"That's more information about you than I ever needed to know."

"Oi, oi, oi, oi." 

Levi doesn't raise his voice, barely even moves, just holds up an open hand. But it's enough. Everyone stops and looks at him. For a man of his stature, he has incredible presence.

"Have ya lost yer Wall forsaken minds? 'Course ya have. Buncha idiots went and forgot every shitstained thing. So lemme say it plain. Titans are already dangerous when they're mindless beasts. And ya want to make them smarter? What is wrong with you!"

Grisha draws a deep breath, readying a retort. Levi points at him.

"No shut up! I ain't done! These Titans are people, yeah? They all got their own goals, their own plans. What makes ya so sure they're gonna play nice with us, huh? We get them thinkin' and they stab us in the throat! And ain't you say that turnin' Titan was a punishment? Don't that mean they criminals? Some mean-ass motherfuckers? Just kill them all! Let them stay dumb sacks o' shit that don't even know they dead."

"But Levi!" Zoë cries out. "What if they could be our allies? What if they aren't all bad? They could fight other Titans for us! They can bring back treasures from the outside! They could keep watch over our expeditions! Titan bodyguards, Levi! Titan forward scouts! Titan comrades! Levi, Levi, Levi just think of the possibilities!"

"Oh I'm thinkin' alright. I'm thinkin' this gonna spread our asses open, tellin' 'em to go in dry!"

Zoë frowns and sweeps out an arm. "Look! There's risks. There's always risks. We are in the business of risks. But the reward is beyond anything we've ever hoped for! We have to try!"

Levi smacks a fist against the wall. "Not like this. We could lose everythin'!"

"I think we're getting ahead of ourselves," Smith interrupts smoothly. "We don't even know if this… if Dr. Jaeger's solution will work. Let's start with some samples - two or three Titans at first. If it works and if they prove to be trustworthy, then we can figure out the rest."

Silence follows his words. Levi and Zoë trade cold glares before turning away with a huff. Smith shakes his head and shares a look with that new scout, Zach-something. Not much of a talker, this Zach-guy is. Grisha didn't even notice him.

"Well, what do you think?" 

Grisha blinks. The question was spoken so softly, so sweetly, so out of sync with the tension seeding the air. He half-thinks to have hallucinated briefly. Glancing around, he catches the steady stare of his wife. Of course. It was  _ her _ question. No one else could sound so saccharine. 

He wets his lips. "I think -"

"I wasn't talking to  _ you _ ."

She sniffs primly and lifts her chin. She turns to look out the window - not at the courtyard or the forest, like he first thought, but right into a pair of big, bright-green eyes. Eren has been watching and listening to them this whole time.

"Husband," Carla says in that same saccharine tone. Grisha understands this to be her anxiety bleeding through. "Dear, you  _ were _ going to check-in with your son about… all of this. Yes?"

Ah. She might be a touch angry. Just a bit.

Carla faces them all once again. "It would be awfully rude to make such grand plans, without telling your principal player. That's like staging a show but not letting your lead actor read the script."

"With all due respect," Smith starts, spinning to face her. "We are not the theater. We are a military squad. Soldiers must have faith in their commanding officers. Even if it means operating with little or no information."

With his back turned, Smith can't see the look on Levi's face or the flat wave of his hand. If Grisha was to illustrate a dictionary, he'd sketch Levi at that very moment as the prime example for disbelief. Carla must have seen Levi's face because she snorts in a none too polite manner.

"And with all disrespect, my son is not a soldier. He is a nine-year-old boy. I have given him to your care, not for your use!"

"Then perhaps! You should not have entrusted soldiers with his keeping!"

Eren lets out a soft groan. Grisha turns and finds his son pressed close to the castle wall. His expressions are difficult to parse, considering the lack of lips and abnormal jaw. But Grisha notes the eyebrows pulled tight, the mouth slightly open.

"I didn't trust a military organization." 

His attention is once more drawn to Carla. She stands a short slip of a woman with hands folded together. She spoke so quietly, so hushed - they all strained to hear her. She almost seems demure or mild-mannered. Almost. The heat of her gaze betrays any appearance of serenity.

"I trusted a dear friend and the comrades he placed his utmost faith in. Or did you forget? We're sneaking around without any say so from the King and his men. Right now, you are no more a soldier than I am." 

Smith matches her stare, studying her with a cold look. Then he smiles the way snakes strike, flashing fangs curved to pinprick points - ready to sink deep into flesh.

"You are absolutely right." Smith chuckles, a dry and empty sound. "I am not a soldier because I follow the King. I swore an oath to protect Humanity. I'm fighting for a cause. That's what defines a soldier. And you, fighting so desperately to protect your son… Yes. Truly, I am no more a soldier than you are. Mrs. Jaeger." 

He leans forward, bending just enough so his eyes level with hers. "Welcome to the squad."

Someone gasps. The sound cuts through the stale air like buckshot on bark. Seconds seem to hang from a fraying thread as they watch Carla's face twist and sharpen. Grisha finds it difficult to breathe, much less move. Paralysis. One of many side effects to snake venom, if he recalls correctly. 

"Eren says it's fine."

Each head snaps to the Zach-something guy. They did so with such abrupt swiftness - Grisha worries someone may have broken their neck.

"Excuse me?" Carla raises a brow.

Zacharius - that's his name! Zacharius nods at the window. In perfect synchronicity, they all look to find Eren holding up a hand sign. Okay, he says. Okay. Okay. Okay. It's okay. 

"You've scared the kid," Zacharius tells them. "Grown ups should never do that."

Just like that, everyone flinches, unable to look at anyone else but especially at the big boy - big not grown. Grisha hangs his head. Oh he is tired. 

"That's enough for tonight, I think. Enough for the week, really. We can all agree to disagree and squabble later. I need a nap."

He runs a hand down his face and heaves out a sigh. He slumps into the nearest available seat. He listens as everyone files out. When the room is empty, he looks up. Eren is still there, waiting outside because he's too big to fit inside.

"You'd think I'll learn," Grisha says with a bitter laugh. 

He notes Eren got cleaner somehow - no more patches of mud or dirt. He notes Eren's brown hair, bangs long enough to fall into his eyes. He notes the furrow in Eren's brow, like trenches in a battlefield, like lines drawn in the sand. Looking at him - really looking at him, even as a Titan, it's easy to see how much he took after his mother. Zeke was the same way.

God. Zeke.

It's just so like him. He gets a taste of hope and promptly drinks himself stupid. He's already did this to Zeke, pinned all his plans and laid all his cards on a young, stupid boy. Of course, it would fall apart. Boys are clumsy, after all, still unsure of their legs and knees. They're supposed to be. But here he is, back on that same bullshit.

"I want to change," Grisha whispers. "I'm tired of this. Of me."

Eren lets out a low, muffled sound.

Grisha laughs. "Yes. Yes. It's not too late. Can't be. Tell me, Eren. Don't be scared. Be honest. Forget about the plan. Forget about me. What do  _ you _ want?"

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So that Ch. 120, huh? I feel so much better about my characterization of Grisha. And by better, I mean vindicated. I feel fucking vindicated of my chosen characterization of Grisha.
> 
> Anyone wanna chat? Hit me up on discord. Macaroni #4887
> 
> I have loads of tinhat theories for this fanfic that hopefully remain canon complaint. If you're good with me key-smashing in your general direction


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